Sweet Surrender

by Catherine Osornio
Published August 8, 2005

We don’t like to surrender. We don’t want to give up anything, whether it’s our home, our land, or even our values. We want to hold onto whatever belongs to us, and in many cases we will fight to the bitter end to keep what’s ours. History is filled with instances where men and women refused to surrender. Such bravery was noble, heroic, and even admirable. To surrender would have meant to fail.

God, however, doesn’t see our refusal to surrender to Him as noble or even admirable. He sees it as disobedient and proud. We are essentially standing in God’s way when we don’t yield ourselves to His will.

The terms of any surrender always come with a price. The losing force has to lay down its arms and give up land, freedom, sovereignty, and rights. Often it means switching loyalties from one king to another or changing one’s view to follow a new ideology. Sometimes it’s just a matter of giving up the right to fight.

When we surrender to God, we give up everything as well. Sometimes this is a stumbling block to people because they don’t want to lose out on the things of the world. But instead of losing, Christians actually gain in their act of surrender. We gain the right to be called sons of God. We gain immediate access to the King of kings. We gain all the rights and privileges as heirs to Christ’s inheritance, including the most precious gain of all, eternity.

Surrendering is not easy. The pull of the world is very strong. Like Lot’s wife, we are often tempted to look back at what we had or could have had instead of looking forward to what’s waiting for us through God’s promises. But if we are serious about our relationship with the Lord, a person must, “…deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

Surrendering to God brings peace, security, and hope. We don’t worry like the rest of the world because God is holding us in His hands and no one can snatch us away. (John 10:28) So don’t struggle against the Lord. Don’t fight against His will. Submit to Him, trust Him, and watch the blessings of His love begin to flow into your life.

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