According to Webster’s Dictionary, surrender is an act of yielding or resigning your life or the possession of something into the power of another; to give up or to yield to the influence, passion, or power of another.
I PARTLY DISAGREE.
IN SURRENDERING TO GOD, IT IS TRUE THAT YOU ARE GIVING UP SOMETHING, BUT YOU WILL BE GAINING MORE OF MIRACLES WAY BEYOND THAN YOU COULD IMAGINE.
Sometimes, we find ourselves wanting to control our own lives. Even though how amazing it is to see what God does when we relinquish control over our life, we still see ourselves struggling to let go. In the end, it never works to try controlling everything. Putting your trust in God and surrendering to Him is always the best choice. He takes care of everything!
So many stories come to mind when I hear the word Surrender. Times when I just let go and watched God work things out as only He can do.
In this light, you should also beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits. For example, “I’m going to give myself to God because I want to be delivered from sin. I want to become holy.” Being delivered from sin and being made holy are the result of being right with God, but surrender resulting from this kind of thinking is definitely not the true nature of Christianity.
Our motivation for surrender should not be for any personal gain. We have become so conceited that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself. But I do want You to clean me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to be on display in Your platform so I can say, ‘This is what God has done for me.’ ” Gaining heaven, being delivered from sin, and being made beneficial to God are things that should never even be a contemplation in real surrender. Genuine total surrender is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself.
GENUINE SURRENDER WILL ALWAYS EXCEED NATURAL DEVOTION. IF WE WILL ONLY GIVE UP, GOD WILL SURRENDER HIMSELF TO EMBRACE ALL THOSE AROUND US AND WILL MEET THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS, WHICH WERE CREATED BY OUR SURRENDER. BE CAREFUL ON STOPPING ANYWHERE SHORT OF TOTAL SURRENDER TO GOD. MOST OF US HAVE ONLY A VISION OF WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS, BUT HAVE NEVER TRULY EXPERIENCED IT.
At the brink of surrender, let us remember 2 Corinthians 5:15.
“and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Before it even crossed our mind to surrender to God, He first loved us, by dying on the cross for our sins.
