The Secret to Surrender
Who knew living for Jesus meant giving up your life and laying it all down? That is what true surrender entails. It surely is not always easy or comfortable. What does it take to live a truly surrendered life unto Christ?
People who say ‘yes’ to surrender simultaneously turn their backs on selfishness.
Surrender requires less and less of oneself and more and more of Jesus. It may sound simple, but try telling your flesh that it is no longer in control. Inform your flesh that Jesus is the new boss of your life and see if there is not a struggle. When we focus on putting God’s plan for our lives first, self succumbs to surrender and contentment naturally follows.
I think we sincerely believe that we have surrendered to God. That is until He holds up our plans or asks for more of us. Gulp. We start thinking about all of the things we want. We want what we want when we want it. As a result, we feel frustrated and begin believing that God has forgotten us because He is not answering our prayers. Where is the surrender in all of that?
If we would be honest with ourselves, the truth of the matter is that we have no problem surrendering to God until He interferes with our will. Now, that is where we draw the line. Lord, I will surrender to you, but just let me live my life the way I want to. When you
truly surrender to Him, you will not be living the life you want to live; you will be living the life He wants you to live. God is waiting for each of us to truly surrender and align ourselves
with His Will.
You know, one of my favorite scriptures helps us to begin understanding surrender. Psalm 37:4 (NIV) says take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. My whole life, I thought, oh this is great, if I just delight in God, then He will give me what I want. That sounds great, right? Well, a couple of years ago, God gave me a fresh revelation pertaining to that scripture. What the scripture is really saying is that when I delight in God, then He will give me what to want.
In other words, as He leads me, He will say this is what I want you to desire or that is not what I want you to desire. Well, that changes everything, doesn't it? This scripture is really talking about surrender. Surrendering the things you and I want for the things that He wants us to want.
How in the world do we do it? What is the secret to surrender? Well, the secret is simple yet significant: we must die to self. That means once we are in Christ, we have to die to our old ways. We have to know that we were crucified with Christ; our flesh, passions, and desires must die. Galatians 2:20 (NIV) says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The Bible tells us that we have to be dead to sin, that we have to deny ourselves, and we must put off the old self. If we are going to live a truly surrendered life, then we have to be made new in Christ. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV) says it this way you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. It is so hard to truly surrender because ultimately, we are no longer slaves to sin which causes a conflict within our bodies. Eventually, we must realize that we have to become less (John 3:30).
I cannot speak for anyone else; I can only speak for myself. Surrender is not easy. It is a constant battle with the flesh, but we must make it submit to the Will of God. It is difficult to do, but we must win the battle. That's the secret...make your soul and your body surrender to God. Whenever there is something that we desire, we must surrender it to the Will of God. If it is God’s Will then He will make it happen. If it is not His Will then we must release the desire and allow it to die. Talk about becoming a mature believer in Christ...it sure is tough, but it is the only way. Let Him heal your soul!
Share this post today with someone who is ready to surrender to God.
I want to hear from YOU!
Question: Why do you think it is so difficult for us to completely surrender to God? Is it truly possible?
Your Sister in Christ,
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am struggling to surrender today. Forgive me. I want to lay it all down for you, but I honestly want what I want as well. Help me to release my desires and choose your Will over mine every time because I know that you know best. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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RELATED POSTS: Do You Recognize These Three Early Warning Signs of a Soul Struggling to Surrender? || 10 Scriptures to Ponder When You Need Relief
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