Is Surrendering to God Worth It? One Hollywood Actress Says…

Published: December 8, 2025

By Kayla DeKraker

Actress Jen Lilley opened up on THE 700 CLUB about how choosing to trust God changed her life.

“When you realize that sin is just trusting anything more than you trust in God, it really does expose what’s really going on in your life,” the A LITTLE WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS actress said.

She reflected on some of her personal struggles.

“I realized in that moment, I’m trusting that God wants to heal everybody, but He won’t heal me. I’m trusting that by having an eating disorder, I’ll stay thin. I’m trusting that by being thin, I’ll have an acting career. And I’m trusting that if I tell other people, they’re going to reject me,” she said.

It wasn’t until Lilley came to a place of complete surrender that things changed.

“I just got to a point in my life where I was like ‘You know what…God, I don’t want anything more than I want you,” she said. “And sin is awful. The reason Jesus hates sin is because it’s a burden. So I just got to a point where I was like I’m going for broke. ‘Lord, like, I want you, and that’s it,’ and He did heal me.”

People in the comment section appreciated Lilley’s vulnerability.

“I’m so grateful for you and the way you share your faith. Your testimony is vulnerable, raw, so honest and full of purpose we all feel in our souls,” one person said. Another fan commented, “Amen, love your vulnerability and your faith is contagious.”

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This certainly isn’t the first time Lilley has been open about her faith.

Last month in a discussion with Crosswalk Headlines, the actress shared, “I relate to Elijah the most in the Bible, and he was pretty bold. So I’m like, ‘Do you need me to be more like an Esther? If so, could You just put a muzzle on my mouth, Lord? – because I’m not very good at being covert.’”

Lilley has loved God and shared her faith since childhood.

“I’ve always been pretty bold,” Lilley told the outlet. “My nickname in elementary school and high school was Jen for Jesus.”

She also believes in the importance of acting out your faith daily.

“God doesn’t want you to just be a person in the crowd hearing His sermon,” she said. “He actually wants us to be a disciple. And you can’t actually walk closely with Jesus if you’re not willing to die to yourself daily and let Him take over.”

Matthew 16:24-25 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Praise God for how Lilley surrendered her sin to Him and allows Him to make in impact for the gospel through her.

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