Surrender

When I was a child, I would play wrestle with my older brother. He was more muscular and quicker than me and would always win. I would have to eventually cry “uncle” so he would let me go. I didn’t particularly appreciate surrendering. It made me feel like a loser, but I would always go back for more for some odd reason. I thought I had gotten stronger and could finally get the upper hand. I never did!

The dictionary defines surrender as “to relinquish possession or control of (something) to another because of demand or compulsion”. According to the dictionary, there are several different ways to use the word surrender. Still, all the definitions have some form of “to give up.” Why is it so hard to surrender? I believe it is because human nature wants to control our lives and what happens to us.

I have thought about this concept for a while. I associate surrendering with some failure or someone who will have control over me. I was praying about this and realized that by yielding to God, I am not giving up as much as giving in willingly. I know that I still need to make decisions about everyday life issues. However, I must surrender control over what direction my life will take. Matthew 16:24 says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Jesus states that I cannot truly surrender to God without denying and walking away from having my way. I must willingly follow him as he directs my steps.

When I think of bowing to God, the words from the hymn All to Jesus I surrender come to mind. “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Thee I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” This hymn speaks to the truth that I can trust the Almighty God and completely surrender to Him. By giving control to God, I live in freedom, not bondage. He is entirely faithful and trustworthy. He has my good and His glory in mind in all He does for or with me. I go to God in prayer and say I surrender everything to Him. But do I relinquish every part of my heart and life, or do I keep something back? I may be afraid to offer something or think I don’t have to. I may feel an issue is unimportant or want to control how a concern plays out in my life. Why do I find it so hard to fully surrender my heart, desires, dreams, and wishes? Lately, I have realized that I lack faith in letting God control me and my future.

Why is it so crucial for me to surrender my life and heart to God? Simply because if the perfect Son of God yielded to the Father, then so should I.  What makes me think that I, as a human, don’t need God’s help and authority when Jesus, God’s perfect son, surrendered to God? Jesus resigned his position in heaven and came to earth to be our Savior. He willingly died for us. The night the Roman soldiers came to arrest him, Jesus asked God to take the cup if God was willing. (Luke 22:42). He surrendered his will to God. Not for himself but for sinful people so we can have a relationship with the Almighty God.

By surrendering to God, the Father, I am not giving up who I am; the characteristics that make me unique and identify me. I am giving up control, but I am gaining freedom from my bondage to sin that enslaves me daily. I can break the power of sin and death over me by surrendering myself and my will to God. (Romans 6:6). I am not living in defeat but victory. By accepting Christ as my Savior, I can live in Christ’s victory at the cross when He died and rose again. When I surrender to God, I can hope for a better life that He promises all of us who die to ourselves so that we may gain the life He promises. His option is so much better than anything I could imagine.

Many examples throughout the Bible show the harmful effects of not surrendering your heart and forging your path. The concept of surrender goes back to Genesis. Adam and Eve did not surrender to God’s commands and allowed Satan to deceive them. The Israelites got impatient, waiting for God to speak with Moses and built an altar. Because of their pride and selfishness, none of that generation got to see the promised land. They had to wander in the desert for 40 years. Abraham and Sarah had family drama because they did not surrender to God’s timing on a son being born. Jacob and Esau were at odds because Jacob wanted his father’s blessing as firstborn. The Israelites often did not listen to the prophets, turn back to God and change their ways. Then they were marched into captivity. Suppose I do not surrender to God and worship him. In that case, I will inevitably surrender to something or someone else and find myself in captivity. This captivity may not be physical but mental, spiritual, or emotional. Complete surrender to God is the best way and should be my only option.

I now realize that without surrendering to God, I will not be able to handle all the issues and stressors that come into my day-to-day life. More than likely, I will fall flat on my face while trying to manage on my own. I may think a problem is too small to take to God, or He won’t care about it. However, my thinking would be wrong. He says to bring everything to him, big or small.  Psalm 34:4 says that when we seek the Lord, he answers and delivers us from all our fears. It doesn’t just say the “big” issues, but all. Later in Psalm 34 in verse 17 we see that the Lord hears all the cries of the righteous and delivers us from all our trouble.

I will be closer to finding the peace I am searching for when I completely surrender to God. He is not in heaven allowing hard times, good times, and everything in between in my life so that I will finally cry “uncle” and surrender to Him. Yielding to God is an act of faith, a humble position of my heart that embraces God’s work in my life. He may not be working as I think He should or do what I think He should do, but these occasions are opportunities to press in and let go. He knows the peace, joy, and hope available to me if I just lay down all my cares, concerns, and burdens and relinquish my life to Him.

I pray for a humble heart that bows to the father in complete surrender. 

All to thee I surrender.