Surrender – It’s Your Choice
Who’s Asking?
Surrender isn’t a very popular word in our culture. Even the first few definitions in the dictionary have some rather negative connotations related to that word.
“To declare to an opponent that he or she has won so that fighting or conflict can cease.”
“To relinquish possession or control of something because of coercion or force.”
“To yield to a strong emotion, influence or temptation.”
“An act of declaring defeat at the hands of the opponent.”
From God’s perspective, however, surrender is life-giving. His desire for us to surrender to Him has nothing to do with declaring defeat at the hand of an opponent, because God is always for us. Surrender to God always leads to our victory, not our defeat. When He asks us to surrender our lives to Him, force or coercion is never a part of the equation. He does not use that approach as part of His request. God will ask, but we have a choice to respond in whatever way we chose.
Why Surrender?
A loving God created us because He desires a relationship with us. Relationship is the key word here because God asks us to surrender to Him within the context of a relationship. He’s not a God who wants to “lord His power” over us but rather, as our all knowing, all loving Creator He alone knows what’s best for us in every area of our lives and His desire is to lead us on the right path so we can experience a blessed and abundant life. He has told us that repeatedly in His Word. He also warns us in His Word of the dangers that await those who doubt Him and choose to live their life according to their own limited wisdom and understanding.
Obstacles to Surrender
If we have been invited by a loving God to surrender our lives to Him, knowing that He alone has complete knowledge of what is the absolute best (not necessarily the easiest) for us, what keeps us from making that choice to do so?
Quite simply, it’s pride. Pride often rears it’s ugly head and refuses to let us bow our knee to God. Looking back over history, since the beginning of time, it has been man’s greatest obstacle to surrender. When God asked Adam and Eve to surrender their will to His in the Garden of Eden, they refused, thinking they knew better than God did what was best for them. They proudly and defiantly ate the fruit of the tree He wisely denied them. It is no different today. People, created by God, thinking they know better than the One who created them, what is best for them. Yet, it happens –ever day – in millions of lives. This would be rather amusing, if it weren’t so serious.
Pride isn’t the only obstacle to surrender, however. Fear and unbelief also have a significant role to play. Fear and unbelief, based on inaccurate or incomplete knowledge of God, can cause a person to doubt that God truly is all knowing, all loving, all wise and compassionate and therefore, He cannot (or will not) lead them on a path that is designed for their ultimate good.
God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. He has proven this repeatedly in the lives of His children who have chosen to surrender to Him. I urge you to take Him at His Word and surrender your life to him today.