When you surrender to the selfless, loving, authority of Jesus Christ in your life, surrender is not defeat. It is VICTORY for life!
The statement above mirrors the upside-down teachings of Christ’s love in his Sermon on the Mount. Surrendering to another person’s authority is not a natural response for people. You can see this in a toddler as they become more confident in their own body and abilities they say, “I do it.”
The process of surrender is constant and requires you to be intentional. Ever present is our flesh self-will wanting to do things “our way” and in “our time.” However, our way is the opposite of trusting and surrendering to Jesus.
Surrendering to Jesus is showing him you are willing to walk with him and let him lead you. Your surrender to him is your act of trust and faith in his love, faithfulness, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and trusting that he knows what is best for you.
We Can Live by Example
Jesus shows us time and time again how surrendering to a higher authority on this broken earth and in our imperfect bodies keeps us focused on God’s love and plan instead of our own.
When your refrigerator breaks, and you have no money to repair it, what happens to your mind, emotions, peace, and attitude? Many of us feel sucked into a whirlwind of emotions, worries, anxiety, and anger. In this place of turmoil, we have not been taught to reach out for the hand of Jesus.
To have a different response and outcome, you will have to do something different. What would happen if you stopped a moment and took some deep breaths? Take ten minutes and listen to praise music. Take two minutes and read a favorite scripture to calm your mind and emotions. In ten to fifteen minutes, what would be the condition of your mind and emotions?
Choosing to focus on Jesus in a time of emotional chaos IS your act of surrendering to his faithfulness. In your surrender, you will find a calmness as you focus on his goodness and faithfulness. With Christ, you will be in charge of your emotions. With his peace in your mind, you will be empowered to use logic, discernment, and to evaluate your resources and options.
Together in your surrender with Christ, you will find a solution or the strength to endure together. You will not be controlled by your emotions and reactions. Jesus warned us that in this life we will have trouble, just as he faced them. However, he also shows us how to overcome the world and keep our joy and peace through our surrender and faith.
Your Words Must Match Your Attitude and Actions
Saying you surrender does not exempt you from facing the challenges in this fallen world. Do not be surprised when you choose to completely surrender to Jesus that you face a test to see if you really mean what you say. I have come to see my surrender as a muscle that needs to be constantly worked to stay strong. This workout happens in our trials, challenges, and tests.
Surrendering to Jesus keeps you holding on tightly to his hand as you journey through life. It helps you see that trusting him is sometimes an every hour or minute choice. Surrender keeps your mind off of you, and onto his wisdom, discernment, and grace.
Jesus loves, cherishes, and believes in your so much that he surrendered his will and life to die for you. I love how honest Jesus is with us in his life. He shows us the struggles he has in his mind and emotions throughout his ministry. He consistently professes that all he is and does comes from his Father in heaven. He also shares his deepest pain, torment, and despair as he clings to God before he is betrayed and crucified in Matthew 26: 39, 42.
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” In verse 39, Jesus asks God to change his path along with his surrender to do God’s will.
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
In verse 42 Jesus doesn’t hear another option from God, and he surrenders and accepts God’s plan for him in the phrase, “unless I drink it.” Without going through the torture and despair, Jesus could not be our Messiah and Savior. There would be no resurrection without his surrender to the crucifixion. This reality is true for us.
Honesty is Crucial for Surrender
Jesus shows us God wants to hear our confusion, doubt, anger, and despair. He can handle it because He made us. It is in our place of honesty that we must choose to trust His will and surrender our own or let our emotions rule our minds and do things our way.
Be honest with Christ. He knows the truth already because he lives in you. Hold tightly to your Savior. Create your strategy to come to a place of complete surrender to let him lead you. Allow his love, peace, grace, mercy, and wisdom to help you overcome whatever challenges you face in the world.
Our surrender is our crucifixion to our self-desires and plans. Our surrender takes the weight of the world off our shoulders and replaces it with Christ’s arms hugging us closely. When we surrender to the authority and leading of Jesus, we will have victory in our life now and for eternity!
