Surrender And Trust: Learning To Let Go And Let God Series

Surrender and Trust: Learning to Let Go and Let God

Matthew 26:39 (NLT) – “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) – “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, today we’re going to talk about two things that can radically change our walk with God: surrender and trust. These two ideas go hand in hand, and they are crucial to living out a faith that’s vibrant, powerful, and real.

We will start with one of the most powerful moments in Scripture, found in Matthew 26:39, where Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prays the ultimate prayer of surrender: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Then, we’ll explore how this principle of surrender is connected to trust as Peter instructs us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

In a world that teaches us to cling to control, today, we’re going to learn what it means to let go, to surrender our will to God's, and to trust Him fully with all our cares and worries. Let’s unpack this message together and explore how, by surrendering to God, we find true peace and freedom.

1. Jesus as Our Model of Surrender – Matthew 26:39

Let’s begin with Matthew 26:39: “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”

This is one of the most intimate and heart-wrenching moments in the Gospels. Jesus, knowing the agony that awaits Him on the cross, asks the Father if there’s another way. But even in His moment of deepest distress, He says, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

The Greek word for “will” here is ????µa (thelema), which means a desire, wish, or determined plan. Jesus is fully human in this moment, expressing His natural desire to avoid suffering, but He also fully submits to the divine plan.

What does this teach us? Surrender is not the absence of emotion or desire; it’s the alignment of our will with God's will. Jesus shows us that it’s okay to ask God for a different outcome, but ultimately, we need to yield to His plan.

In the Old Testament, we find a similar theme in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), which tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” The Hebrew word for “trust” here is ?????? (batach), meaning to have confidence in or to rely on. We are called to trust God’s wisdom over our own understanding.

Church, what are you holding onto that you need to surrender to God? Is it a relationship, a job, or perhaps a dream you have? Surrender doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care about our desires. It means we trust His plan more than our own. Jesus surrendered His will for the Father’s plan of redemption—He trusted God’s greater purpose.

Imagine a child holding tightly to a toy that’s broken. The parent wants to take it to fix it, but the child is too afraid to let it go. Isn’t that how we often behave with God? We hold onto things that are broken, fearful of letting go, but God is saying, “Trust Me, I can make it better.”

Pastor Tim Keller says, “To ‘let go and let God’ means to stop trying to control the outcome of your life and to start trusting God with all your heart, with no backup plan.”

2. Casting Our Cares – 1 Peter 5:7

Now let’s turn to 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT): “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” In this verse, Peter gives us the next step after surrender: trust.

The Greek word for “cares” in this passage is µ???µ?a (merimna), which refers to anxieties, distractions, or the things that divide our attention. Peter is telling us to take all those things that weigh us down and hand them over to God.

Notice that Peter doesn’t say to give God only the “big” worries or the “spiritual” concerns. He says, “Give all your worries.” The little things, the daily struggles, and the major life challenges—God wants all of them. Why? Because He cares for us.