What is Surrender?

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I was asked recently, what does it mean to be surrendered to God.  The simplest answer I could think of was something I read - somewhere, years ago - and I'm paraphrasing: "surrender is saying YES to God, before He even gives the assignment". 

Just as Samuel responded when God called His name, "Yes Lord, I am listening" and when Isaiah responded, "Here I am, send me" - it's the willingness to go, to say, to be, and to do as God calls you to it. 

Surrender is not a one time and done event, nor do I believe it is just an end goal.  It's a mindset that becomes a way of life.  You first make the decision, and then you just do it!  You go where He leads and do as He commands - daily - minute by minute. 

It's the willingness in your soul, spirit and flesh, to relinquish everything to God.  It is offering up to Him, complete control of your will, your tongue, your mind, your body - your entire life. 

It's not always easy to do.  Many times, I've messed up or felt as though I failed God when I didn't respond quick enough or with the right attitude.  Sometimes God asks you to do what seems like the impossible.  By yourself, it would be - but I've learned that with God's GRACE (i.e. power), nothing is impossible! 

Surrender takes faith.  Living a life of surrender, is a life of DEEP  faith. The deeper you go with God, the more faith is required.  At the same time the deeper you go with God, the deeper the roots of your faith grow.   God never gives us a task that He does not empower us to complete, and with excellence!  That is His grace at work, within us!

I surrendered my all to God 23 years ago.  In the beginning, it was terrifying.  I didn't know what He was going to ask of me.  I just knew in the deepest part of me that I wanted ALL of Him.  His Word promises when we "seek FIRST the kingdom of God, ALL things are added unto us".

At first, when He called my name, my responses were a whisper - "Yes, Lord.  I'm listening".  Over time, as I became more and more grounded in God's Word and found my confidence in Him alone, my responses became bolder - "Here I am Lord, send me!!". 

Daily, I surrender my will to His.  And when He asks something of me that seems particularly difficult or even impossible, I first respond to Him, "YES, Lord, here I am, ready to go".  Then I pray the most powerful prayer I know - "Help me". 

God's grace and peace...

Verses for meditation:

Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

1 Samuel 3:10 And  the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Inspirational quotes:

We must surrender ourselves to God, not our assignments. 

~ E'yen A. Gardner

The enemy knows that without surrender, we will never experience the freedom that God offers us. Without surrender, we will remain spiritually malnourished, ill and confused. Without surrender, our foxholes become prisons of the enemy's making. Our lack of full surrender limits God's ability to both work in our lives and through our lives.

~ Katherine J Walden