Lead By Surrender

Written By: Frieda Dowler

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. – James 4:10 NLT.

Do we ever feel prepared for what we are called to do? Truth is, when we agree to do something in a leadership capacity, we are never fully prepared. And even if we think we’re ready for it, we never know what’s coming our way. No one knows the future or the circumstances that will unfold.

I was called to a leadership assignment that I was completely unprepared for. It was motherhood. I was ten years into our marriage with every expectation of having children. For the first three years, I read and prepared to be a mother. I even bought clothes and toys for a child. But when we decided to trust God completely, instead of taking matters into our own hands, I had to accept that motherhood may not be my future. So I packed away the clothes and toys and spent time developing my confidence in God, knowing whatever he called me to he would be with me.

I believe this principle is key for any leadership role God sets before us, whether it’s motherhood or the CEO of a large corporation. Because God knows everything, he can prepare us for anything. As long as we depend on God’s guidance, he will help us accomplish any task before us.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5 NIV.

When we get in our own heads, we stress. We have self-doubt like this: We don’t know enough. Others are depending on us, and we don’t want to let them down. We want to do the right things, but we are not prepared for this. We don’t have enough experience. Self-doubt causes us to struggle to be the best leader, but in reality, God is the best leader. He can shine through us when we give ourselves to him completely.

The hardest thing in life is surrendering our will to God’s will. But it’s the ultimate path to peace. In my first few months of motherhood, I was stressed to the max. Bruce and I had a new business, and we agreed to adopt two children at the same time: an infant and a toddler. We had five days to prepare for this role. It was exciting, but after several weeks, reality set in. One day, when I was at my wit’s end, I fell on my knees and cried out to God for help. It was honest and raw, but God honored my submission. From there forward I had peace. The times took on a different kind of stress. It wasn’t the stress of doing this on my own; it was the stress of daily chores. I was tired at the end of the day, but never questioned whether God was in charge of all of this.

Whether we realize it or not, we are all leaders. We may not all be prominent leaders, but we can lead others simply by doing what God expects of us. In our society, that will stand out. Others may not always appreciate it, maybe because it may make them feel guilty. Doing God’s will is hard. It was even hard for Jesus. Before his death, he was quoted as saying this.

“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Matthew 26:39 NLT.

When we surrender our will to God’s will, he will make beautiful things happen. Things will bring him glory and bring us peace in knowing “he’s got this”. That’s how we prepare for any leadership role God calls us to.