Surrender
Surrender demands letting go of your control, giving up your own desires, and receiving a different life. Have you surrendered to God yet?
1 Corinthians 6:12;19-20 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NKJ)
Belonging to someone else means you serve them and not yourself. According to Merriam-Webster, “surrender” is defined as “yielding (something) to the possession or power of another, delivering over, agreeing to give up battling another, and giving oneself up to the control or influence of another.”
Submit, obey, and yield are words similar to surrender. In the Bible, submit means to subject oneself, to yield to one’s control, and to accept and concede to one’s superiority or the will of another.
Surrendering to Christ means:
When the disciples left everything and followed Jesus, they surrendered to God. They had to give up control of their plans, dreams, and families to follow the Son of God. They reshaped their identities to align with Jesus’ call and purpose.
James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NKJ) You cannot have the mind of Christ and your own at the same time.
The disciples made that sacrifice, for they understood how much Jesus loved and cared for them, and they trusted His plans. When we learn to surrender to God, we abandon what we think is right and place our trust in God’s knowledge of what is right. Surrendering to God is as living sacrifice demonstrates our availability to God and our complete trust in and obedience to whatever He commands.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reason–able service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. (NKJ) Greek = the actual measure itself; the basis for determining what is enough or not enough, what is fair or not fair. Looking to the Lord Himself as His being is the only measure of truth.
Surrendering to God isn’t always easy, but it’s a critical step in our spiritual journey. It requires a deliberate shift in our mindset, a move towards total dependence on God. This doesn’t mean we become passive; rather, we actively engage in a relationship with God, seeking His will in all aspects of our lives. We must learn to recognize and abandon our need for control. This might be the toughest part, as it goes against our nature. However, letting go and trusting God’s plan is essential to surrender. It means believing that God has our best interests at heart, even when things don’t go as we expect.
Proverbs 3:5–7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. (KJV)
Surrender is a doorway to freedom. Contrary to the world’s view that surrender limits freedom, in the Christian life, it does the opposite. By surrendering to God, we’re freed from the bondage of sin, fear, and the pressures of this world. It’s in surrendering that we find true freedom: freedom to live a life for God and His purposes, freedom from the heavy burdens we were never meant to bear alone.
Matthew 10:38-39 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (NKJ)
Galatians 2:20–21 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. (NKJ)
Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (KJV)
Who do you serve? God, or your own plans, purposes, and pursuits? Enjoy the peace and freedom of surrendering to God today in every aspect of your life. Don’t hold back anything. Give Him your all. You’ll be glad you did.