Is it ever hard for you to surrender to God?
Have you ever struggled to trust God in a particular situation because you weren’t willing to give up your own preferences and preconceptions of what the outcome should be? Why is it so hard to surrender to God?
I remember the first time I had to really lean on God for a big life-choice decision I had to make. I was a senior in high school and had to decide where I was going to college. That might not seem like such a big deal now, but when you’re in high school, that’s one of the most important decisions you’ve ever had to make.
I had two really good choices and there were advantages and disadvantages to both schools. I debated with myself for several weeks about where to go. And at some point I definitely had decided what I wanted to do.
But I had started to take my faith pretty seriously in high school, and so I realized I needed to pray about the situation instead of just doing what I wanted.
Powerful Bible verses
These two verses from Proverbs were really helpful in this process. I know a lot of people who pray with these two verses all the time because they are so powerful.
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. Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT
I started off praying, but it was mostly to justify my personal choice. I have to be honest. But the more I prayed about it, I eventually realized it wasn’t my choice at all. I had to trust God to show me what to do, “which path to take” as the verse from Proverbs says. And that’s exactly what happened. God made it very clear that it would be better for me to go to the school which was not my first choice.
The first time I learned to surrender to God
Believe it or not, this gave me a peace of mind I hadn’t felt for weeks while I was trying to figure out where to go. I knew God had directed me and I could trust that.
Looking back on this experience, and many others since then when I’ve had to trust God, I realize that what was really going on, what allowed me to trust God so fully, was that I was willing to give up or surrender, my own desires, my own preferences, my own need to be in control. In short, I had to give up my will to follow God’s will.
I hear Christians talk a whole lot about surrendering to God. Sometimes they make it sound so easy: just give up your will for God’s will. They act like it’s just a button you push and then everything is fine.
Sometimes it’s hard to surrender to God
I don’t know about you, but especially when I was still new to practicing my faith, it was hard to surrender my will to God’s will. I often prayed for what I wanted, what I thought was right, or what seemed best from my perspective. They weren’t evil, malicious, or greedy prayers. But they were a bit self-focused, I must admit.
As I have matured in my faith, over many years, it has become, to some degree, less difficult to let go of my will and surrender to God’s will.
But I know Christians who have struggled with this for years. They hold onto what they want so tightly, hoping and praying it will be God’s will for it to happen. As a result, they have a very hard time letting go of those desires and discovering what God’s will is and how they can obey it.
If we don’t always surrender to God, he still loves us
Sometimes, when we stubbornly hold onto something we want or think is right, instead of letting God direct us, God ends up arranging things in a way that eventually open our eyes to see what His will for us is and what is best for us.
I had a friend who had had a job for about 17 years. It was a contract position. His life situation was about to change and he talked for months about the possibility that it was time for him to do something different. But he wanted to stay in this particular job.
The interesting thing was that when his contract came up for renewal, the company did not renew it. At first he was very upset, but in just a few weeks he saw the hand of God at work, impelling him to do what he had been thinking about doing, but hadn’t taken the steps to do on his own. As it turned out, he then was available for this new job that was much more fulfilling.
He had not wanted to surrender his own will, his own sense of being in control, to what God was prompting him to do. Now, his over-arching prayer had always been to be obedient to God and do His will, but in this specific situation he had held on to what he wanted. He came to see that God still guided him, even if it seemed like a bumpy road of not getting his contract renewed. It made him feel God’s love even more and has helped him surrender to God with less resistance since then.
What do you need to surrender to God?
Over the course of our lives, there may be many things we need to let go of and surrender to God: I’m sure you could make a long list of the things you have turned over to God, and the things you might still need to surrender to God. I’ve got a pretty good list going, let me tell you.
But there is one thing in particular that is probably more important to give up than anything else. It is your own will, you own desire to have and do what you want. Or you could say it another way, the desire to be in control.
All too often we think of what we need to surrender to God as individual wants and desires that come and go in our lives. Kind of like me surrendering where I wanted to go to college. That didn’t mean I was completely letting go of my own will for everything and for all time. It was certainly a first step in that direction, but it was just a one-time effort.
Completely surrendering your will to God’s will is actually more of a mindset instead of a piecemeal or an à la carte approach.
Why it’s hard to surrender to God’s will
But this is what people struggle with. They love the fact that they have a will of their own, that they can decide to do whatever they want to. Or sometimes they feel trapped by someone else imposing their will on them. One person’s will can overpower someone else’s ability to make choices.
On a deeper level, I think another reason a lot of people have trouble resigning their will to God’s will is that many Christian churches teach the doctrine of free will. Simply put, this doctrine states that God created man with the free will to obey Him or to sin.
There are lots of variations of this doctrine. Some Bible scholars argue that the Bible does not teach the doctrine of free will, but that it came into the church in the 2nd century, CE. You can read more about the doctrine of free will here.
The point I’m want to make is that many people believe God has given them the free will to obey Him or to sin. They believe this is how they are wired. If that really is how God made us, who are we to resist it? And how can we change what God has created us to be?
Was it God’s plan for you to sin?
A lot of people actually use this doctrine of free will to justify, or at least make excuses for, the fact that they sin.
If this is your mindset, then trying to give up your own will to follow God’s will feels almost impossible, because you’re trying to change the way God made you.
But what if that’s not really the way God made you?
In the story of the Garden of Eden, the Lord God never says to Adam and Eve that they can do whatever they want. He does say there will be consequences if the eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but He doesn’t give them permission to do it.
The serpent’s lies
It never occurs to them to eat that fruit until the serpent comes along and suggests they can do whatever they want. God never said that. It was the serpent who planted the suggestion in them that they had the free will to do what they wanted.
And that sneaky old serpent kept lying.
God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil. Genesis 3:5 NLT
Eve believed this lie and she convinced Adam to eat the forbidden fruit too. This didn’t make them more like God, but less like Him. You know the rest of the story. They got kicked out of the Garden
The serpent still tells that lie that we can do whatever we want to and somehow that will make us become more like God, because God does whatever He wants to, right?
That sounds pretty appealing to the human ego, to be a god. That’s pretty much how the human ego sees itself anyway.
What atmosphere do you breathe?
Now, I’m going into all this detail because this theological attitude toward free will is part of the mental atmosphere we breathe, sometimes without realizing it, even if we don’t subscribe to this doctrine. In the material world, we’re surrounded by the thought that we can do whatever we want.
If you’re not aware of this mental atmosphere, this mental influence, it’s all too easy to breathe it in and start thinking that you can do whatever you want to, regardless of what God wants you to do.
Of course, the Bible is full of people who made choices to obey or disobey God. The people who obeyed God usually did it out of love or loyalty or respect for God. Those who chose not to obey God believed they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to and they usually suffered the consequences. They were obviously not surrendering their will to follow God’s will. Just the opposite.
Why do we refuse to surrender to God?
As I said, sometimes we hold tenaciously to our human will, our ability to choose for ourselves, and the desire to be in control, because we think that’s who we are. We think that’s what gives us our identity. And we don’t want to let go of it. It’s how God created us. Or so we believe.
With this attitude, no wonder it’s hard to surrender our own will to God’s will.
So how do we overcome this tendency to want to do whatever we want? Some folks talk about the power of the human will and that you can do anything you set your mind to. But think about it. You can’t use your human will to get rid of your human will.
There are some wonderful passages in the Bible that point us in the right direction.
Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the LORD. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, 2 Chronicles 30:8 NIV
But the children of Israel didn’t always do this, and Paul actually refers to this,
Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Romans 10:3 NIV
The solution though, is in this verse from James, plain and simple,
Submit yourselves, then, to God. James 4:7 NIV
And First Peter puts it this way,
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 NIV
And on the surface it all seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Just submit to God and everything will be great.
Paul explains why it’s hard to surrender to God
But Paul gets at the root of why it’s hard to submit to God. He exposes the real culprit, the carnal or fleshly mind.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Romans 8:7 NIV
Are we being influenced by this carnal mind governed by the flesh? If so, no wonder it’s hard to let go of human will. Or are we being guided by and embracing the mind of Christ?
Jesus sets the example
It is no surprise that the complete solution to this materialistic mindset and its influence in our lives can only be found in the life of Jesus. Jesus called himself the “light of the world.”
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV
Jesus had the ability – and he wants us to do the same thing – to shine this light of his into the dark nooks and crannies of the hearts of those who had not followed God’s will. Think of all the sinners and tax collectors he hung out with. He shone the light of God’s love on them and it transformed them.
How was he able to do this?
Doing God’s will
It’s because he consistently and persistently renounced his human will and obeyed God’s will. We usually think of this idea of Jesus submitting to God’s will coming up in the Garden of Gethsemane at the end of Jesus’s ministry. Just minutes before he was arrested, Jesus uttered those famous words,
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 NIV
But actually this is a theme throughout Jesus’s entire ministry.
I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. John 5:30 NLT
In Gethsemane, Jesus struggled to let go of any sense of a personal will opposed to God’s will. And we was successful. He did not use his human will to choose to obey God’s will. He surrendered his will and embraced God’s will.
Using your will to do something and surrendering your will to do God’s will are two very different things.
Why should I surrender to God?
Now you may be thinking: “Hey James, this is all amazing that Jesus surrendered his will to do God’s will, but how does this apply to me? There are so many things I want to do. In fact, I have a bucket list of things that I want to accomplish in life. Is that so bad to want to do certain things that are important to me?”
Well, I can’t really answer that question because I don’t know what’s on your list of things you want to do? And I don’t know the reason you want to do them. Why do you want to do or have something? Maybe it was God who put that desire in your heart and He will provide a way for it to come to fruition.
But if it’s just a self-focused, ego-based desire, it may make you feel good temporarily when it happens, you may gain some momentary thrill or recognition from others. But the real question is whether it will help you discover more of who God is and who you are as the child of God.
And that is actually the simple reason to surrender to God’s will. It’s about getting to know God and who you are as a child of God.
This is why Jesus came to earth. Yes he came to save us from our sins, and to heal sickness and disease, and destroy the last enemy we call death. But the ultimate reason Jesus was here was to show us who God is, that His kingdom is here, and that we are in a state of eternal unity with God and cannot be separated from Him.
God’s will for you
This is God’s will for you, to be in unity with him. This was Jesus’s prayer for you and me and everyone who will ever believe in Jesus,
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. John 17:21 NLT
Whatever desires you have for yourself or your life, whatever you want to accomplish, whatever your will is for yourself, it can never come close to what God’s will is for you, to be united with Him forever.
God’s will for you is better than anything you could possible imagine. Why would we settle for something far less than the blessings God has in store for us?
You are worthy of God’s will for you
I can almost hear someone saying, “But James, I am not really worthy of all those blessings. I have not lived my life according to God’s will. I’ve tried, but it’s hard to give up the things I want.”
I must politely but firmly disagree. Your worthiness to receive all God’s blessings doesn’t come from you doing everything perfectly every single minute of your life. We have all made mistakes and followed our own will too many times to count. But that doesn’t diminish God’s love for us or alter His will for us.
If you’re having trouble surrendering your will to God’s will, start with one simple thing. Maybe you want that promotion at work because you think you’re the best person for the job. I’ve certainly thought that way in the past. Maybe there’s a house that you really want to buy because you love it and it’s in a wonderful neighborhood. Maybe you are attracted to a particular person and want to marry them.
There’s nothing wrong with any of these things, in and of themselves, but if you pursue them just because you want them, you may not get them and you’ll be disappointed, or if you do get them, the satisfaction won’t last.
What one thing will you surrender to God?
Think of one thing you really want. Whatever it is, surrender that desire to God. There’s no perfect formula for this but you could pray something like this:
Dear God, I really want this particular thing, whatever it is, but I am going to give up that desire to You. This may not be the best thing for me to have. I know You want only what is good for me. So I’m going to trust You to show me what to do, where to go, who to spend time with. What will be the biggest blessings and reveal more of Your kingdom here and now? That’s what I pray for. I trust You to open my ears and my heart to hear and understand Your will for me. Thank you, God. Amen.
Don’t just listen to this podcast episode and think to yourself: “What a great idea. What a great prayer. I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ll take time to do this tomorrow.” Take a minute right now and try out this little prayer. Put it in your own words. Make it your own. And notice the difference it makes.
When you’ve done this with one thing in your life, do it with another, and another, and another. At some point, the more you do this, you won’t be able to stop yourself from surrendering your whole life to God and His will for you.
And if you’ve ever wondered what God’s will for you is here on earth, just come back to what Jesus reveals in the Lord’s Prayer. God’s will for you here on earth is what His will for you is in heaven. That’s worth surrendering to.
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Genesis 3:5 NLT
5 God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.
2 Chronicles 30:8 NIV
8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the LORD. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God,
Romans 10:3 NIV
3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
James 4:7 NIV
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God.
1 Peter 5:6 NIV
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Romans 8:7 NIV
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
John 8:12 NIV
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Luke 22:42 NIV
42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
John 5:30 NLT
30 I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
John 17:21 NLT
21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.
