Surrendering is not easy
The word surrender evokes the images of defeat and we naturally dislike to surrender. Surrendering makes us a loser and nobody wants to be a loser.
In today’s culture where we are taught to strive to win, surrendering is unthinkable. That is why Christianity runs so counter to our societal norms. People think that Christians are stupid or weak because we aim to surrender to God.
But actually the reverse is true. It is so much easier to insist on having our own way. It is surrendering that is more difficult. When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, it took all of the Son of God to be able to surrender to His Father. He struggled with it so much that He was sweating like drops of blood. Knowing He had to face the cross, He surrendered to His Father’s will when He would have longed not to go through the suffering.
We are called to surrender to God
Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
We are called to surrender to God. To offer to God ourselves as a sacrifice. This act of surrender is equivalent to our worship.
Worship is not just singing songs of praise. That is only one component of worship. Worship includes offering of ourselves. It is only when we put someone at the highest place of our lives that we can offer ourselves. It is not easy to offer our time, our money, etc. But to offer ourselves is even more difficult. It is telling God: You can do to me whatever You want. Because I trust You that you only have the best intentions for me.
What happens when we surrender to God
We won’t have peace if we struggle with God.
Job 22:21 “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.
When we surrender ourselves to God, He can use us for His great purposes. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to surrender herself to God before God can use her to be a vessel to bring forth Jesus into the world.
Luk 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
The Apostle Paul also surrendered to God totally and as a result God did a marvelous work in his life.
Gal 2:20 so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.
What do we surrender to God
Surrendering to God in our prayer life
(Luke 22:42 NIV) “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
When we pray do we insist that God fulfill our prayer in exactly the way we want or do we ask God to fulfill it only if it is in accordance with His will?
Surrendering our dreams to God
Many of us have an idea what we would like to accomplish in life. Let’s learn to surrender our dreams to God. Present those dreams to God but ask God to only fulfill the dreams that are in accordance with His will.
Surrendering our circumstances to God
Some things that happen in our life is not within our control. Job is an example of someone who experienced so many things in life that was not within his control. He had no control when he lost his wealth, his family and his health.
We must submit our circumstances to God. We must acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our circumstances. Nothing is outside God’s control. If someone happens that is outside our control, it is because God has allowed it.
Job learned that it is wrong for him to ever question the sovereignty of God.