SURRENDER YOUR THOUGHTS TO GOD

J. Grant Swank, Jr.


God’s way to peace of mind is for the believer to surrender each thought to God.


When you have fear thoughts, surrender them immediately to God. The same with confusion and happiness. The same with apprehension and suspicion.


This also applies to planning thoughts, analyzing thoughts and stunning thoughts.


Whatever you think, surrender it to God. Tell God to take your thoughts. When waking, surrender the first thoughts to God—especially the mundane ones.


As you go through the day and into the night, surrender your thoughts to God. Such opens up God’s guidance in your life.


This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take no thought for tomorrow.” He meant that seriously, practically.


When you analyze your thinking, you realize that most of your thinking has to do with the future. The past is over. The present is being taken care of—in some manner, maybe not happily or efficiently—but it’s being dealt with.


It is tomorrow that consumes your thoughts because you are trying to secure your future. You want it to be okay. You want to walk into tomorrow knowing that you don’t have to worry.


But Jesus said, “Take no thought for tomorrow.”


Do that. Don’t move into tomorrow. The way to exercise that is to surrender right now your thoughts. Let God take care of present thoughts.


When you wake up in the night, surrender your thoughts immediately to God. If you are being held captive by fear thoughts concerning some approaching situation, immediately surrender those fears to God.


Jesus said that God is aware of the birds in flight, taking care of them. He said that God knows the number of hairs on our heads.


Jesus tried to counsel His disciples in the way to peace of mind.


Jesus Himself said that He came to Earth not to do His will but the will of the Father. That meant that Jesus surrendered His thoughts to heaven’s way—thought by thought.


We are to do that, too. We can do that. Surrendering our thinking is a habit that we can cultivate. It is not impossible or Jesus would not have counseled us to “take no thought about tomorrow.”


By surrendering our thoughts to God, we learn faith. That is the first step in learning how to trust God with everything.


You don’t have faith in God with the big chunks of life. Believe God is at work in your life by surrendering each minute to God. In that, God reveals His moving.


So you have something that disappoints you. Surrender that to God, believing that God can work
through that disappointment for your good.


The Bible says that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called to His purpose.”


We live in a spiritually damaged sphere. However, God is greater than our sphere. Consequently, you don’t want to be held prisoner by this sphere. You can rise above it.


Therefore, surrender your thoughts to God, believing that God will take your circumstances, weave His “good” into them and bring you out in victory.


We live in uncertain times. We are bombarded with gloomy forecasts.


This is the time then to learn how to surrender every thought to God, letting Him show you how He can master your life for your good and His purpose.


Start now with your present thought. Add to that thought the next thought. Release your worries into God for the Bible says: “Cast all your cares upon God for God cares for you.”


He really does. Then let God carry you and your thoughts.


FOOTNOTE: MATTHEW 6:24-34


Matthew 6:24-34


Jesus said:


24 No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.


25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?


26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?


27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?


28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,


29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.


30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?


31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’


32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.


33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.


34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.