Finding Peace Through Surrender and Stewardship
Summary
Today, we gathered to reflect on the deep connection between anxiety and our desire for control. So often, we find ourselves caught in a cycle of fear, worry, and anxiety, all rooted in our attempts to manage things that are ultimately beyond our grasp. Whether it’s the small frustrations of daily life—like a long wait at a drive-thru—or the bigger issues of relationships, outcomes, and even God’s timing, our need to control can quickly spiral into anxiety when reality doesn’t cooperate. The truth is, anxiety fills the gap between what we want to control and what we actually can control.
We explored the difference between stewardship and surrender. Contentment and peace are found when we learn to discern what is ours to steward—our attitudes, actions, and alignment with God’s will—and what is God’s alone to manage—people, outcomes, and his timing. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 illustrates this beautifully. The servant who buried his talent out of fear missed his calling because he was paralyzed by anxiety over things he couldn’t control, neglecting the very thing he was entrusted to do. His job was obedience; the results were the master’s responsibility.
This principle applies to every area of our lives. We cannot control other people, the results of our efforts, or the timing and ways of God. When we try, we only increase our anxiety and lose sight of the things we are actually responsible for. Instead, we are called to faithfully steward what God has placed in our hands—our attitudes, our actions, and our willingness to align with his will. Surrender is not passive; it is an active trust that frees us to obey God fully, just as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane.
As we close, I invite you to reflect: What are you holding onto that you need to surrender to God? And what have you neglected to steward because anxiety has distracted you? Imagine the peace that would fill your life if you trusted God with what is his and faithfully managed what is yours.
Key Takeaways
- Anxiety thrives in the space between what we want to control and what we cannot control. When we obsess over things outside our influence, we become trapped in a cycle of fear and worry, losing sight of the peace God offers. Recognizing this dynamic is the first step toward breaking free from anxiety’s grip. [09:38]
- The difference between stewardship and surrender is crucial for spiritual maturity. Contentment comes from knowing what is ours to manage—our obedience, attitudes, and actions—and what must be entrusted to God—outcomes, people, and timing. Wisdom is found in daily discerning this boundary and living accordingly. [12:25]
- The parable of the talents teaches that fear of uncontrollable outcomes can paralyze us, causing us to neglect our true responsibilities. God calls us to obey and steward what he has given us, leaving the results in his hands. When we focus on obedience rather than outcomes, we step into our calling and experience God’s peace. [17:19]
- Attempting to control people, outcomes, or God’s timing only leads to frustration and anxiety. True peace comes when we surrender these to God, trusting him to work in ways we cannot foresee. Our role is to plant, water, and steward faithfully, while God alone brings the growth and determines the results. [24:00]
- The only things we can truly control are our attitude, our actions, and our alignment with God’s will. Surrender is not passive resignation but an active, ongoing choice to trust God and obey him, even when we don’t understand. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, we are called to say, “Not my will, but yours be done,” and then to faithfully walk in obedience. [28:15]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Praying for Pastor Jerry’s Sabbatical
[02:10] - Introduction: Control Issues and Parenting Stories
[05:25] - The Whataburger Incident: Losing Control
[06:24] - Everyday Examples of Control Issues
[07:32] - The Anxiety Cycle Explained
[09:38] - Anxiety: The Space Between Wanting and Reality
[12:25] - The Serenity Prayer and Contentment
[13:14] - Stewardship vs. Surrender
[14:50] - The Parable of the Talents
[17:19] - Fear, Avoidance, and Missed Calling
[20:04] - Obedience vs. Outcomes: What’s Ours and What’s God’s
[21:15] - You Can’t Control People
[24:00] - You Can’t Control Outcomes or God’s Timing
[25:38] - Trusting God Like a Weaned Child
[26:52] - What You Can Control: Attitude, Actions, Alignment
[28:15] - Surrender Is Active: Following Jesus’ Example
[32:45] - Reflection: What to Steward and What to Surrender
[33:38] - Imagining a Life of Peace
[34:10] - Closing and Final Thoughts
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
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### Bible Reading
- Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of the Talents)
- 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”)
- Psalm 131:1-2 (“I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child with its mother…”)
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### Observation Questions
1. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), what did each servant do with what the master gave them? What was the master’s response to each? [14:50]
2. According to 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, what roles do Paul and Apollos play, and what role does God play in the process? [21:15]
3. In Psalm 131:1-2, how does the psalmist describe his attitude toward things he cannot understand or control? [24:00]
4. The sermon described anxiety as “what fills the space between what I want to control and what I can’t control.” What are some everyday examples the pastor gave of this? [09:38]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why did the servant with one talent choose to bury it instead of investing it? What does this reveal about his understanding of responsibility and fear? [17:19]
2. How does the difference between stewardship and surrender help someone find peace and contentment, according to the sermon? [12:25]
3. What does it mean to “steward” something versus “surrender” it to God? How can someone tell the difference in their own life? [13:14]
4. The pastor said, “If it involves obedience, it’s yours. If it involves results or outcomes, it’s God’s.” How does this principle challenge the way people usually approach their problems? [20:04]
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### Application Questions
1. Think about a recent situation where you felt anxious or frustrated because you couldn’t control the outcome (like the Whataburger story). What did you try to control, and what was actually in your hands to steward? [05:25]
2. Are there people in your life (family, friends, coworkers) you are trying to control or “fix”? What would it look like to surrender them to God and focus on stewarding your own heart and actions instead? [21:15]
3. The sermon mentioned that we can’t control outcomes, but we can control our attitude, actions, and alignment with God’s will. Which of these three do you find hardest to steward, and why? [28:15]
4. The pastor described Jesus in Gethsemane, choosing to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Is there an area in your life where you need to pray this prayer and actively surrender your will? What would obedience look like in that area? [28:15]
5. The parable of the talents warns against letting fear of uncontrollable outcomes paralyze us. Is there something God has given you to steward (a relationship, a gift, a responsibility) that you’ve been neglecting because of anxiety or fear? What is one step you can take this week to move forward in obedience? [17:19]
6. The pastor encouraged everyone to write down one thing they need to steward better and one thing they need to surrender. What would you write down for yourself? [32:45]
7. Imagine your life, family, or work if you truly trusted God with what is his and faithfully managed what is yours. What specific changes would you expect to see in your peace, relationships, or daily decisions? [33:38]
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Devotional
Day 1: Steward What’s Yours, Surrender What’s God’s
Contentment is found in knowing the difference between what is yours to control and what is God’s to control. When you try to manage things that are out of your hands, anxiety fills the gap, but when you focus on stewarding what God has entrusted to you and surrender the rest, you find peace and serenity. The wisdom to discern this difference is the key to living a life free from unnecessary worry and full of contentment, as you faithfully obey God with what He’s given you and trust Him with the outcomes. [13:14]
Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you’ve been trying to control what only God can, and how can you intentionally surrender it to Him today while faithfully stewarding what He’s placed in your hands?
Day 2: Trust God with the Outcomes
You can plant seeds, give your best effort, and pour into others, but the results are ultimately in God’s hands. Trying to control outcomes leads to frustration and anxiety, but peace comes when you do your part in obedience and trust God to bring the growth, knowing that He alone is responsible for the results. Letting go of the need to control outcomes frees you to serve faithfully and rest in God’s sovereignty. [22:30]
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV)
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
Reflection: Where in your life are you anxiously trying to force a certain result? What would it look like to do your part faithfully and then release the outcome to God in prayer today?
Day 3: Rest in God’s Timing and Ways
There are mysteries and timings in life that are simply beyond your understanding and control. True peace is found not in having all the answers, but in quieting your soul before God, trusting Him like a child trusts a parent, and letting go of the need to figure everything out. Humility and trust in God’s higher ways bring a calmness that anxiety cannot touch. [25:38]
Psalm 131:1-2 (ESV)
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
Reflection: What is one situation where you’re struggling to understand God’s timing or ways? How can you practice quieting your soul and trusting Him with the unknown today?
Day 4: Steward Your Attitude and Actions
Your attitude and actions are within your control, and they shape the quality of your life and relationships. When you choose gratitude, adjust your perspective, and act in love and faithfulness, you not only honor God but also experience a shift in your own heart and mind. Even when circumstances are out of your control, you can choose how you respond, and that choice can bring peace and blessing to you and those around you. [28:15]
Colossians 3:17 (ESV)
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where your attitude or actions were not what you wanted them to be—how can you intentionally choose gratitude or a Christlike response the next time a similar situation arises?
Day 5: Surrender Your Will, Obey God’s Call
Surrendering your will to God is not passive; it’s an active choice to align your life with His purposes, just as Jesus did in the garden before the cross. True peace comes when you lay down your own agenda and faithfully obey what God has called you to do, trusting Him with the rest. Don’t let fear or anxiety keep you from building what God has entrusted to you—choose obedience and surrender, and experience the freedom and peace that follow. [31:30]
Luke 22:41-42 (ESV)
“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.’”
Reflection: What is one area where you sense God calling you to obey or surrender your will? What step of obedience can you take today, trusting God with the outcome?
Quotes
Anxiety is what fills the space between what I want to control and what I can't control. I want to control it. I want to control it. It'd be awesome if I could control the stock market. That'd be amazing. But I can't control it. I want to make sure everybody likes me. I can't control if everybody likes me. I want to make sure that my kids are getting good grades, but you know what? I can't take the test for them. And so in between this, there's this space of anxiety. [00:09:30] (30 seconds)
If you want serenity, if you want peace in your life, if you want contentment in your life, then you've got to know the difference between what is God's to deal with and what's yours to deal with. Between the things you should steward and between the things you should surrender. This is how we find contentment. This is how we find peace. This is how we find serenity. [00:12:43] (23 seconds)
His job was to obey the master's command, but the master's job was to deal with the outcomes. This teaches us how we are supposed to know the difference between what we can control and what God controls. What he has called us to is to obedience. [00:19:40] (17 seconds)
You can't control the results. You can't control the outcomes. Only God can control that. You do what you can. You obey his word. That's what you're called to do. But don't get bent out of shape when things don't go the way you plan, because only God can control the outcomes. [00:20:25] (19 seconds)
You can't control your children. All you can do is water and plant the word of God in their heart. The teachings of Christ. The word of God. You pour that in. And the Bible says, train up a child in the way he will go. And does it say, and then they will always follow him? No, it says, and when they are old, they will not depart. Right? You have to trust God with the outcomes. Results are his. [00:23:20] (31 seconds)
There's things in this life that are too great and too awesome for you to grasp. There's things that will lead you into a crisis of worry because you can't understand why it happened. You don't understand God's timing or his ways. But guess what? His ways are higher than yours. [00:24:56] (17 seconds)
Your attitude will determine the quality of each moment of your life. My attitude in Whataburger that day was not good. I might have gotten more than cookies if I had been a little bit nicer. I'm not sure. [00:26:34] (17 seconds)
What would your life look like if you stopped trying to control people and stopped trying to control outcomes? What would your family look like? What would your friendships look like? What would your relationship with God look like if you started trusting him with what was his and you started stewarding what was yours? Just imagine the peace that you could find if you just surrender those things that are beyond your control to him. Trusting him with what's in his hands. Stewarding what's in your hands. [00:33:33] (29 seconds)
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