3 Ways to Surrender Your Glory to God

Do we love God enough to surrender our glory like the woman who wept on Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair? Her actions reveal three ways to surrender.

The Woman Who Surrendered Her Glory

She startled awake from some cheerful voices walking outside her crude mud dwelling. A few moments repose during the day was a habit with her since she frequently pursued late night activities. “Happy men,” she muttered bitterly, “I made them happy last night.” She reigned in her desire to shed a single tear and remembered the adoration the men gave her. Her shiny bracelets clinked together while she smoothed her hair, reveling in her dark kind of glory.

The sound of deliberate footsteps pulled her mind back to the present. It was too early for…no, it was a different kind of man. She peered out the tiny window watching the back of his head since he had turned down another street. “Jesus,” she whispered, but there was a catch in her throat. The sound of his name spoken aloud from her own mouth stirred her soul to a depth she didn’t know was possible.

Emotions flooded her fatigued spirit; thoughts bombarded her mind faster than she could handle. Before she knew what she was doing, she donned some plain garments, snatched the idolized money bag and dashed out the door. A plan was rapidly forming in her head, of which she was grateful for the momentary focus lest she turn on her heel and abandon her quest for hope.

A moment more and she purchased an alabaster flask of fragrant oil. “Sorry dear,” the merchant said, assuming she was grieving the loss of a loved one. She was grieving, deeply. Her racing walk quickened into a run, and she quietly darted through the door not knowing how she was let in.

“And standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” Luke 7:38 ESV

Laying Your Glory at His Feet

One day after meditating on this story found in Luke 7:36-50, I couldn’t get this woman’s hair out of my head. I love that the richness of the Bible is so incredible that often more than one drop of wisdom can be found from one verse or passage.

Knowing that the hair is a symbol of the glory of man or beast (1 Corinthians 11:15), the phrase laying your glory at His feet has been stirring my spirit.

Glory has to do with honor, fame, adoration, praise, dignity. How can I lay my glory at His feet? Have I given all honor to Him from my heart or merely expressed it with words?

As we go about life, our talents, callings, and works that we do for God are a reflection of God’s glory. Sometimes the desire to claim the credit will seep into our hearts if we aren’t mindful. It’s in the moments when the Holy Spirit makes us aware that we have internally taken the recognition to a place of pride or self-reliance that we need to surrender it back to the One who made it all possible in the first place.

3 Ways to Surrender Your Glory to God

1. Brokenness. She wept on Jesus’ feet. Tears are a symbol of brokenness. With weeping, dignity is reduced to pieces.
2. Humility. She dried her tears with her hair. She laid her pride at Jesus’ feet. With humility, pride is reduced to pieces.
3. Love. She kissed His feet. Those kisses displayed the love she felt for Jesus. She didn’t merely say it, she showed it. With showing love, “self” is reduced to pieces.

O for more of this love! If I might only pray one prayer this morning, I think it should be that the flaming torch of the love of Jesus should be brought into every one of our hearts, and that all our passions should be set ablaze with love to him. —Charles Spurgeon

We don’t know for certain who this woman was. She is assumed to be a prostitute, but the details of her sins aren’t revealed. Some suppose her to be Mary Magdalene, although we have no proof of this as well. Mary of Bethany also anointed Jesus’ feet with costly ointment in a separate instance (John 12:3).

No, we have no evidence of her true identity, but we can—I can—identify with loving Jesus much from being one who has sinned many, many times (Luke 7:47). I desire to surrender my glory to the Father. Even if I weep while others stare awkwardly. It doesn’t matter if I need to repent in the presence of onlookers. Because I love Him deeply.

What about you? How do you give your glory to the Father? Tell us how by leaving a comment.

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