December 29th, 2025
by Steven Shaw
by Steven Shaw
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
“And He said to all, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’”
Devotional: The Starting Point of Freedom
Every journey toward freedom begins in the same place: the truth. Confession is where healing starts, because it’s where we stop pretending. Before recovery can take root, we must come face to face with the reality of who we are and what we’ve done — and even more importantly, who God is and what He’s done. The Gospel doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up before coming to Jesus. It calls us to come as we are, confessing the mess, the failure, and the brokenness we’ve been hiding. When we bring those hidden parts into the light, something miraculous happens: shame begins to lose its grip. The darkness that once defined us starts to crumble under the weight of grace.
But confession alone is not the end; it’s the beginning of surrender. True recovery means more than admitting guilt — it means laying down control. For many of us, control has been our false god. We’ve tried to control outcomes, people, emotions, or even our image. Yet the harder we grip, the more things slip through our fingers. Jesus’ call in Luke 9:23 — “take up your cross daily and follow Me” — is an invitation to exchange the illusion of control for the peace of surrender. To take up the cross is to die to self — to die to pride, self-sufficiency, and the constant striving to allow the Spirit to do His work in us. It’s a daily death that leads to real life.
Confession exposes what’s broken; surrender gives it to God.
Confession opens the wound; surrender allows Him to heal it.
Confession is honesty; surrender is trust.
Think about this: God is not surprised by your sin or struggle. He is not overwhelmed by it. He already knows it all — the thoughts you regret, the actions you hide, the things you swore you’d never do again and the things you will do. And yet He still invites you to come. That’s mercy and grace. Grace is not permission to stay in sin; it’s the power to walk out of it. When we confess, we’re not informing God of something He doesn’t know — we’re agreeing with Him about what’s true. And when we surrender, we’re trusting His plan more than our own.
Confession without surrender can leave us stuck in guilt.
Surrender without confession can leave us blind to our need.
But together, confession and surrender form the foundation of lasting transformation.
This is where the Rhythm of Recovery begins — not with a self-improvement plan, but with a spiritual reckoning. God’s rhythm starts with honesty. You cannot heal what you will not reveal, and you cannot be transformed by a God you won’t fully trust. When we say, “Lord, I surrender,” we’re stepping off the throne of self-rule and letting Jesus take His rightful place as Lord. It’s not weakness — it’s wisdom. The strongest people in the Kingdom are those who know how to kneel in this world.
The Gift of Being Known
One of the hardest things for people in recovery to accept is being fully known. We’ve often lived in hiding, afraid that if people saw the real us, they’d reject us. But confession opens the door to being known — by God first, and then by others. Scripture says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Notice — forgiveness comes from God, but healing often comes through others. God designed community as part of His recovery plan. When we hide, sin grows stronger. When we bring it into the light, it weakens. Confession breaks isolation. Surrender ends self-reliance. Together, they create space for grace to rebuild what sin tore down.
Surrender Is Daily
Jesus didn’t say, “Take up your cross once.” He said, “daily.” Surrender isn’t a one-time emotional moment; it’s a rhythm. Every morning, you will face a choice: will I carry my will, or will I carry my cross? Every day, there will be something to lay down — an attitude, an addiction, an expectation, or an idol. And every time you surrender it, you’re not losing — you’re being freed. Surrender doesn’t mean you stop trying; it means you stop trying alone. It’s the humble acknowledgment that “apart from Him, we can do nothing” (John 15:5b).
Application
Ask yourself where you’ve been holding on to control. Maybe it’s a habit you’re afraid to release because it numbs the pain. Maybe it’s the fear of failure, or the pride that says, “I can handle this on my own.” True surrender means trusting that God’s plan is better than your own strength.
Write down one area of your life you’ve been trying to control. Pray over it, and as you do, imagine literally placing it in God’s hands. That’s not symbolic — it’s spiritual warfare. Every time you release control, you push back the enemy’s lie that says you have to fix yourself, or that you’re able to fix it yourself.
Prayer
Father God,
I surrender every hidden part of me to You. I confess that I have tried to control my life, my recovery, and my future. I’ve hidden behind shame, pride, and fear. But You already know me fully — and still love me completely. Break my pride and lift my shame. Teach me what it means to trust You wholly and fully. Help me to stop striving and start resting in Your strength. I confess my sins before You, Lord, not to try and earn forgiveness, but because I already have it in Christ. Thank You that Your mercy is new every morning. Today, I choose to take up my cross — to die to myself and live for You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflection
Daily Action Step
Write down one area you’ve been trying to control. Pray over it, and commit it to God today. Tell someone you trust that you’re choosing to surrender that area — accountability turns intention into transformation.
More Scripture for Further Growth
Pray over these Scriptures. Don’t just read them — let them speak to you. Take time to read the full chapters they belong to, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring deeper understanding. These additional verses are here for those who feel a growing hunger for more each day. As your journey continues, let God’s Word become your daily source of renewal, conviction, and strength.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
“And He said to all, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’”
Devotional: The Starting Point of Freedom
Every journey toward freedom begins in the same place: the truth. Confession is where healing starts, because it’s where we stop pretending. Before recovery can take root, we must come face to face with the reality of who we are and what we’ve done — and even more importantly, who God is and what He’s done. The Gospel doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up before coming to Jesus. It calls us to come as we are, confessing the mess, the failure, and the brokenness we’ve been hiding. When we bring those hidden parts into the light, something miraculous happens: shame begins to lose its grip. The darkness that once defined us starts to crumble under the weight of grace.
But confession alone is not the end; it’s the beginning of surrender. True recovery means more than admitting guilt — it means laying down control. For many of us, control has been our false god. We’ve tried to control outcomes, people, emotions, or even our image. Yet the harder we grip, the more things slip through our fingers. Jesus’ call in Luke 9:23 — “take up your cross daily and follow Me” — is an invitation to exchange the illusion of control for the peace of surrender. To take up the cross is to die to self — to die to pride, self-sufficiency, and the constant striving to allow the Spirit to do His work in us. It’s a daily death that leads to real life.
Confession exposes what’s broken; surrender gives it to God.
Confession opens the wound; surrender allows Him to heal it.
Confession is honesty; surrender is trust.
Think about this: God is not surprised by your sin or struggle. He is not overwhelmed by it. He already knows it all — the thoughts you regret, the actions you hide, the things you swore you’d never do again and the things you will do. And yet He still invites you to come. That’s mercy and grace. Grace is not permission to stay in sin; it’s the power to walk out of it. When we confess, we’re not informing God of something He doesn’t know — we’re agreeing with Him about what’s true. And when we surrender, we’re trusting His plan more than our own.
Confession without surrender can leave us stuck in guilt.
Surrender without confession can leave us blind to our need.
But together, confession and surrender form the foundation of lasting transformation.
This is where the Rhythm of Recovery begins — not with a self-improvement plan, but with a spiritual reckoning. God’s rhythm starts with honesty. You cannot heal what you will not reveal, and you cannot be transformed by a God you won’t fully trust. When we say, “Lord, I surrender,” we’re stepping off the throne of self-rule and letting Jesus take His rightful place as Lord. It’s not weakness — it’s wisdom. The strongest people in the Kingdom are those who know how to kneel in this world.
The Gift of Being Known
One of the hardest things for people in recovery to accept is being fully known. We’ve often lived in hiding, afraid that if people saw the real us, they’d reject us. But confession opens the door to being known — by God first, and then by others. Scripture says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Notice — forgiveness comes from God, but healing often comes through others. God designed community as part of His recovery plan. When we hide, sin grows stronger. When we bring it into the light, it weakens. Confession breaks isolation. Surrender ends self-reliance. Together, they create space for grace to rebuild what sin tore down.
Surrender Is Daily
Jesus didn’t say, “Take up your cross once.” He said, “daily.” Surrender isn’t a one-time emotional moment; it’s a rhythm. Every morning, you will face a choice: will I carry my will, or will I carry my cross? Every day, there will be something to lay down — an attitude, an addiction, an expectation, or an idol. And every time you surrender it, you’re not losing — you’re being freed. Surrender doesn’t mean you stop trying; it means you stop trying alone. It’s the humble acknowledgment that “apart from Him, we can do nothing” (John 15:5b).
Application
Ask yourself where you’ve been holding on to control. Maybe it’s a habit you’re afraid to release because it numbs the pain. Maybe it’s the fear of failure, or the pride that says, “I can handle this on my own.” True surrender means trusting that God’s plan is better than your own strength.
Write down one area of your life you’ve been trying to control. Pray over it, and as you do, imagine literally placing it in God’s hands. That’s not symbolic — it’s spiritual warfare. Every time you release control, you push back the enemy’s lie that says you have to fix yourself, or that you’re able to fix it yourself.
Prayer
Father God,
I surrender every hidden part of me to You. I confess that I have tried to control my life, my recovery, and my future. I’ve hidden behind shame, pride, and fear. But You already know me fully — and still love me completely. Break my pride and lift my shame. Teach me what it means to trust You wholly and fully. Help me to stop striving and start resting in Your strength. I confess my sins before You, Lord, not to try and earn forgiveness, but because I already have it in Christ. Thank You that Your mercy is new every morning. Today, I choose to take up my cross — to die to myself and live for You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflection
- What have I been afraid to surrender?
- What might freedom look like if I did?
- How has control kept me from healing?
- What would change in my life if I trusted God with every area?
Daily Action Step
Write down one area you’ve been trying to control. Pray over it, and commit it to God today. Tell someone you trust that you’re choosing to surrender that area — accountability turns intention into transformation.
More Scripture for Further Growth
- Psalm 32:5 — “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
- Proverbs 28:13 — “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
- Romans 12:1–2 — A call to present your body as a living sacrifice and be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
- James 4:6–10 — “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble… Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
- Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus’ invitation: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
- Psalm 51 — David’s prayer of confession and renewal.
- John 8:36 — “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Pray over these Scriptures. Don’t just read them — let them speak to you. Take time to read the full chapters they belong to, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring deeper understanding. These additional verses are here for those who feel a growing hunger for more each day. As your journey continues, let God’s Word become your daily source of renewal, conviction, and strength.
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