"And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” —Luke 22:41-42

It is easy to portray this "pretty and perfect picture" of Christianity to outsiders. You have to remember we live a lifestyle of surrender and that's hard. In the military, surrender means to welcome defeat by your enemy. It implies weakness and loss which leads to subjugation and control by your opposer. For the follower of Christ, surrender to the Lord is not surrendering to an enemy, it's surrender to one who can be trusted and knows you better than you know yourself. This surrender to God doesn't infer that bad things will not happen to you in this life. You will encounter challenges. Moments, where you are reminded again to yield to His will and not submit to yours—which might include hard decisions. And with it will come imminent suffering which may not feel "pretty and perfect."

DO THIS: When something comes to mind that you wish would go your way, surrender—but to the right person.

PRAYER: God, my life is full of moments that are opposed to you. In these moments my I surrender to your best for me, even when the world or my decisions may lead to opposition by the world.