Sweet Surrender

The following is an excerpt from Nancy Leigh DeMoss's (one of my all time favorite authors!) book Surrender:

"Betty Scott grew up in China, where her parents were missionaries. She returned to the United States at the age of seventeen for her last year of high school, followed by college and Bible institute. During those years, Betty penned a prayer that has become the petition of many other believers who long to live a life of unconditional surrender to Jesus as Lord:

'Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, and I accept Thy will for my life. I give up myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me now and seal me with Thy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, for to me to live is Christ. Amen.'

After completing her schooling, Betty returned to China to serve with the China Inland Mission. Two years later, in October of 1933, she married John Stam, also a CIM worker. In December of 1934, just weeks after the birth of their baby girl, John and Betty were taken hostage by hostile Communist soldiers, and within a few days were beheaded. Betty was twenty-eight years old.

When she wrote, 'Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost,' she had no way of knowing what full surrender would cost her. Although some might consider the cost exorbitant, I am confident that Betty, having laid down her life for Christ, would not think the price too high."