The world looks at surrender as defeat and the last resort. God shows us that our surrender to him has a different Holy meaning and reality on earth and into eternity. When believers try and understand the blessings of surrendering to God from their experiences with imperfect people and the world’s influences, it’s easy to get confused.
We are taught to be independent, self-sufficient, and never give up. These qualities have a place in various circumstances. However, when we are talking about our spirit and soul, we don’t have the life-giving freedom we need through God without completely surrendering to Jesus in our hearts.
What Does it Look Like to Surrender to God?
The Bible is filled with average everyday people called by God, touched by Jesus, and who refused to believe, surrender, and follow Jesus as their Savior. Many churches explain salvation as the process of believing Jesus is the son of God, acknowledging that He died for all our sins, and asking Him to be Lord of their life. However, this explanation leaves out the fact that walking with Jesus and letting Him be Lord of their life requires them to surrender all of their thoughts, beliefs, dreams, paths, will, and lifestyle to Him.
It’s easy for believers to think that salvation is like a new accessory they’ve added to their heart instead of being the life force creating their new life. Without learning the full meaning and understanding their commitment and responsibility to follow Jesus, how can they know how to surrender to Christ? It’s vital for new believers and all Christians to know what it means to live for Jesus.
When believers grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, they will desire to learn what it means to follow His ways and trust Him. They will gladly surrender to Him in their trust because they know He has their best in mind. Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (John 5:19, NLT)
As believers learn more about Christ’s faithfulness in the Bible and their everyday life, they will experience His presence. When you know the heart of Jesus, you will willingly follow His example of being completely surrendered to God. There are so many blessings in our surrender; let’s look at three.
Three Benefits of Surrendering to God
- Surrender relieves you from your mistaken need for self-sufficiency. When we grow up believing we have to be good enough, strong enough, smart enough, and resourceful on our own, we operate from a self-focused mindset and purpose. In our independent self-focus, we may take on roles and responsibilities that God never asked us to take on. We may think we have to make our lives wonderful and successful, or we have failed God. We may think we have to fix, heal, or save the people we love from their bad choices, or we are not a good “Christian.”
When believers learn to nurture their relationship with God and Jesus, they will understand that the only pure love, wisdom, and power to change comes from our surrender to God. The only one we have the power to make choices for or to change is ourselves. As believers surrender and follow the ways of Jesus, they are relieved of their misplaced beliefs that they are responsible for being super-human and fixing, healing, and saving themselves and others.
- Surrender helps you identify and work with Jesus to free yourself from your past beliefs about God, Jesus, and yourself. Your surrender ignites your desire to know God and Jesus personally. Completely surrendering your mind, heart, and soul to God opens you up to access the love and heart of God through prayer, worship, and by studying God’s word. As your personal relationships grow with God and Jesus, you may discover that everything you have been looking for to feel loved, valued, like you belong, and to have a purpose are right in the arms of Jesus.
- Surrender empowers you to understand and work with Jesus to grow the fruits of the Holy Spirit in you. When a person receives salvation, they are implanted with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “To the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV) Although these are gifts from God, believers are responsible for learning about these gifts and how to use and mature them with the help of Jesus. Learning and living in the ways of Jesus is the process of living out our faith in complete surrender.
Jesus, Our Ultimate Example of Complete Surrender
Before Jesus went to the cross, he was our primary example of the struggle we have to completely surrender to God in our human flesh. Jesus showed us how we can trust God no matter what our circumstance looks like or how we feel, even in a deadly situation. Our Father God is okay when we share our fears, doubts, desires, and pain.
God’s even okay when we get angry. His biggest desire is for us to be honest and to share everything in our hearts with him. God loves to hear the good stuff and holds us during painful times.
Jesus shows us his deepest struggle in his human condition before he went to the cross.
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” (Matt. 26:39,42, ESV)
Although we may not know the specific outcome of a situation like Jesus did, Jesus shows us that God’s ways are the best, even if it means our death. Living out this trust and belief in God requires our complete surrender. Living in our faith is living in our complete surrender to God and receiving all the joy and teaching He has for us.
God doesn’t require us to be perfect. He wants us to hold His hand and keep surrendering to Him one step and choice at a time. Take His hand and see what He does!
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deut. 31:6, NLT)
