Some Just Get It
Insights From Vacation Bible School
The Freedom of Surrender Over Striving
Ryan Just Got It
Ryan was one of those kids who didn’t need to be the loudest, fastest, or funniest to be noticed.
He didn’t rush, didn’t brag, didn’t compete for attention. He just was.
When the rest of us were pulling hair and testing limits, Ryan quietly looked out for the ones we forgot.
He defended the kid being picked on. He shared his snacks. He seemed older than the rest of us, not by age, but by awareness.
Even his mom—Miss Marla, our fearless VBS teacher—used to say Ryan encouraged her.
It wasn’t that he tried harder. It was that he trusted deeper.
He just seemed to know something we didn’t: that being loved by his Heavenly Father was enough.
Surrender vs. Striving
Some people seem to “get it” early. They walk with peace, the rest of us are still chasing.
We see them and think, What’s their secret? Why does faith seem effortless for them?
The truth is, it’s not about effort at all. It’s about surrender.
Ryan lived with what I’d call “holy farsightedness.” One eye on heaven, one on earth.
He didn’t strive to be good—he simply lived from the goodness of God already within him.
We, on the other hand, often mix up fruit and performance.
We try to produce love, patience, and joy, forgetting that fruit grows naturally from connection, not from trying harder.
The fruit of the Spirit isn’t self-improvement—it’s Christ-impartation.
The Ease of Letting Go
Ryan wasn’t “better” than us. He was freer.
And freedom looks like rest, not effort.
Jesus said, “Abide in Me.” Not, “Impress Me.”
Our striving exhausts us; our surrender transforms us.
When we stop trying to look spiritual and start trusting the Spirit to live through us, we finally discover what Ryan seemed to know all along:
Striving is our part.
Surrender is His.
And only one of those leads to joy.
Reflection
Where might striving be replacing surrender in your walk with God?
What would it look like to stop “trying to be good” and instead trust the Good One within you?
How might rest become your new rhythm of faith?
Prayer