Open Hands, Open Heart: Surrendering Your Whole Life to God
Devotional week 30
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
— Romans 12:1 (NIV)
If someone asked you what belongs to God, you would probably answer, "Everything."
Yet if we are honest, there are parts of our lives that we still hold tightly. We surrender our Sundays but struggle to surrender our Mondays. We trust God with our eternal future but hesitate to trust Him with our careers, finances, relationships, ambitions, or plans.
I have noticed this in my own life. Whenever I am planning for the future, I like to have a clear picture of how everything should unfold. I make my plans, set my goals, and quietly hope God will bless them. It often feels easier to invite Him into my plans than to ask what His plans might be.
Romans 12 paints a different picture of surrender.
Paul does not ask believers to offer God a portion of their lives. He urges us to offer ourselves as "a living sacrifice." That means placing our whole lives—our work, our dreams, our abilities, our possessions, our relationships, and our future, in God's hands. This kind of surrender is not a one-time event. It is a daily choice.
It means showing up at work with integrity, even when cutting corners would be easier. It means treating colleagues, clients, and customers with dignity because they bear God's image. It means holding our ambitions with open hands, willing to follow Christ even when His direction differs from our own.
Paul continues by saying, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The world tells us to pursue success at any cost, protect our own interests, and measure our worth by what we achieve. God invites us into a different way of living. As our minds are renewed, our priorities begin to change. We no longer ask, "What do I want?" but, "Lord, what would please You?"
For Christian professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and workers, this transformation is lived out in ordinary moments. Every decision becomes an opportunity to worship God. Every responsibility becomes an opportunity to reflect His character.
Surrender is about placing every part of our lives into the hands of the One who knows us, loves us, and is shaping us to become more like Christ. When our hands are open, our hearts become free to follow wherever He leads.
Challenge
Take a few quiet moments today and ask God to reveal one area of your life that you are still holding tightly. Open your hands before Him—literally if it helps—and pray, "Lord, this belongs to You. Teach me to trust You with it."
Prayer
Father, thank You for Your mercy and for giving Yourself fully for me through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the times I have tried to control my life instead of surrendering it to You. May my work, my relationships, and my daily choices point others to You.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotional by Praise Mark. As Project Manager at Tent International, she is passionate about the intersection of faith and work. She oversees the global Tent network and enjoys writing content that equips and inspires tentmakers around the world.