Most times when we think of surrendering, it is viewed as a bad thing, a bitter taste in your mouth. However, when we consider surrendering in the eyes of God, our view should be changed.
The picture of ‘surrender’ to worldly people consist of hands open, palms out, no fight, forceful submission, vulnerable, and weakness. All of these things are negative and not many wish to willfully surrender to anyone. Those in the armed forces do not want to surrender to the enemy, because this dictates defeat and imminent death in many cases. There is no protection when you surrender in the world.
But, just as the Bible declares, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) ‘Surrender’ in the hands of an almighty God looks different than surrender in the world.
When we surrender to God, our spiritual position is lying in prostrate. We lay not only ourselves before God, but we lay our ambitions, ideas, intelligence, desires, and the like before God. Godly surrender involves yielding to God. This surrender is voluntary, not forced.
When we surrender to God, we cease fighting. We no longer fight His plans for our lives. We stop fighting His way of doing things. We quit fighting against what He tells us to do in ministry, in life, and in conversation. We understand that the battles of this life do not belong to us, but they are God’s to fight and do with as He chooses (2 Chronicles 20:1-29).
Surrendering to God puts us in a position to be our strongest. For God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. Those things we struggle with, because God will give us grace enough, sufficient grace to overcome (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Our perfect surrender to God, allows us to go before His throne and say, as Jesus said, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
Finally, another profound difference in surrender in the world versus surrender in Christ, is that when we surrender in Christ, we are guaranteed victory. 1 John 5:4 informs us that “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Even before the battle is over, God has declared our victory. Even in the midst of our deliverance process, God reminds us that we are overcomers. When we, of our own accord, submit, yield, relinquish, let go, and surrender to God, we win!
Living a surrendered life, is walking in the PATH of victory!
