What comes to mind when you hear the phrase: surrendering to God?
Is it something you’re comfortable with? Or is it a something you’ve tried to do but not very successfully? Or maybe surrendering to God isn’t something you really think about that much.
That’s what we’ll talk about today, surrendering to God.
To surrender…
Recently on the news I read about a Russian soldier who surrendered to the Ukrainians in the conflict that’s been going on now for about a year and a half at the time I recorded this in June of 2023.
But the way he surrendered was what caught my attention.
A Ukrainian drone was tracking him and the people controlling the drone were about to kill him. The Russian soldier must have seen the drone and realized what was going on because he threw his gun down and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. The drone operator saw this and decided to spare the man’s life.
I was touched by this story because of a tiny glimmer of humanity on the part of the Ukrainian drone operator. But it got me to thinking about what it means to surrender to someone or something.
In this case, it meant that the Russian soldier was not killed. He will obviously have to deal with what it means to be a prisoner of war. But surrendering saved his life.
What does it mean to surrender?
So what does the word surrender actually mean? What are the implications when you surrender to something or to someone? And what does it mean when we surrender to God?
One definition of surrender is “to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.”
It can also mean to give in to some influence, a person, place, or thing. Or it can mean to give up, yield, resign, or relinquish something.
And more specifically, it can mean you give yourself up, submit, or yield to another power.
That’s exactly what the Russian soldier did. He ceased resisting the Ukrainians. He relinquished his power, his weapon. He gave himself up to his enemies. And as a result, he relinquished his freedom, but he saved his life.
What do you surrender to?
Think about all the various things we surrender to in our lives.
There’s no way to control all the circumstances that come our way each day, but we can control how we respond. When something alarming happens, do you surrender to fear?
With all the terrible things going on in the world right now, do you ever surrender to hopelessness, despair, or anxiety?
What about someone in an abusive relationship? I’ve talked to people who feel the only way to survive is to surrender to the person abusing them, at least for a time.
Or it could be an organization that is the abuser. Sometimes even churches, or rather the man-made doctrines which certain church leaders insist we agree to, demand we surrender to their authority. If we don’t, we get labeled as being unfaithful.
Have you ever felt like you had to surrender to things you didn’t believe just to stay in and be considered part of the group? That’s really a tough place to be.
I encourage you to take some time to ponder what you surrender to in your daily life. It could be something little or it could be something really important to your well-being, in a positive or negative way.
Surrendering to God
So let’s talk about the idea of surrendering to God.
What does this even mean, and is it actually possible?
Well, let’s go back to the definition of surrender. What would it look like to cease resisting God and what He wants you to do with your life and submit to His authority?
Now, you may have already done this to a large degree over many years, or this may be a relatively new concept. Where ever you are on your spiritual journey, there is always a new opportunity to surrender to God.
Another part of the definition for surrender is to give up or relinquish something. Are there things, thoughts, or actions you need to relinquish to God?
One of the things that most people I talk to say they need to surrender to God is wanting to always be in control of things. This can be tough, to consciously give up the desire to be in control. But when you surrender this powerful urge to God, it allows you to bear witness to and experience the fact that God is in control.
Some other things we might need to surrender to God at some point are fear and insecurity. What about pride or a victim mentality?
What makes you feel separated from God?
What is it that makes you feel separated from God and keeps you from being conscious of being in His presence? That’s what needs to be surrendered.
Sometimes we need to surrender our opinions and personal perspectives so we can see things more clearly from God’s point of view.
Most of the things I mentioned so far are internal and personal. But sometimes we need to surrender things external to us. It could be quitting a job that’s no longer a good fit. Or getting out of an abusive relationship.
And sometimes we need to surrender, give up, and relinquish, outside influences, which have shaped how we think and act, but are not bringing us closer to God. I have several friends who have left the churches they were members of because of the man-made doctrines and the negative effect they produced in those churches.
These are just a few things to think about. It really boils down to this: we need to surrender to God any thing, thought, or action, which doesn’t bring us closer to God.
Having the right mindset
Paul puts it this way,
…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT
What we need to give up is the world’s view of who we are and the wrong way we’ve identified ourselves, the old man as KJV puts it, the old self, the old sinful nature. You’re not giving up anything that’s true about who you are as a child of God. You’re relinquishing everything that’s not part of how God originally created you in His image and likeness.
Surrendering to God everything in your life
All that said, there’s another aspect of surrendering to God that I’d like you to ponder.
For myself at least, I have found a great sense of peace when I have surrendered all the good things in my life to God as well, my accomplishments, and victories. I give them over to God and realize He’s the one who enabled me to accomplish all that good.
While it may have felt good at the time to get credit when I did those things, I don’t need it now. All the good that came to me and all the good I have done, really came from God in the first place and it gives me great joy to give it all back to God.
It’s not surrendering in the sense of getting rid of something undesirable. It’s more about putting all that’s good about you in God’s keeping.
One morning several years ago, I just gave everything I had to God, or maybe I should say, gave back to God. All that I have now, all the good, all the abilities and talents, all the resources I gave to God, to use in whatever way would honor Him, bless mankind, and bear witness to the kingdom of heaven at hand.
Everything I have, in one way or another, has come from God. I say I surrendered it all to Him to be of service to Him, but really it was more of a realization that everything I have has always belonged to God.
Jesus’s example of surrendering to God
I love what the book of James says. Surrendering to God is not just giving up bad habits, but giving ourselves to God.
Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7, 10 NIV
Jesus was the perfect example of this. He came in the role of God’s servant. He only did what he saw God do. He only said what God told him to say. He did not act on his own power or authority. He did not follow his own will. He did not seek his own glory.
Throughout his whole ministry, Jesus surrendered his own words and actions, his own will, authority, power, and glory to God’s.
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. John 5:19, 30 NLTI seek not mine own glory: John 8:50 KJV
I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. John 12:49 NLT
Complete surrendering to God
All this culminated in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus completely submitted, or surrendered to God’s will with those famous words,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42 KJV
And on the cross, Jesus surrendered his human life to the so-called religious and political authorities of his day, which had conspired to destroy him. But in so doing, he actually proved in his resurrection that they had no ultimate power over Christ.
For me this is a ray of hope whenever I feel like I have to or surrender to some lesser power than God, for whatever reason.
Following Jesus’s example
You may find yourself in some tough situations where you have to do the best you can under the circumstances and make some choices that aren’t perfect. But when that sort of thing happens, you can always completely surrender the whole situation to God, just as Jesus did when he quoted Psalm 31:5 on the cross,
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 NIV
Jesus totally surrendered to God. He put himself completely in God’s hands and trusted the outcome. You and I can do the same.
First Peter puts it this way,
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6, 7 NIV
We could paraphrase that: Surrender yourself, as well as your anxiety, to God. And God will take care of you, much better than you could take care of yourself. Because He loves you.
Surrendering to God privately
So we’ve talked about some of the things we can surrender to God, but I want to talk about how we go about it. This can be just as important as what we surrender.
Jesus gives a hint at this when he says not to fast in way that makes it obvious to others that you’re fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18 NIV
16 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
This really sets the tone for how we are to surrender to God. It’s a quiet process between you and God and no one else. You don’t need to tell anyone else about it. You don’t need to announce it at church to show how spiritually minded you are or to impress anyone.
Let them see the changes that take place in the way you live your life. When you surrender to God in the ways we’ve just been talking about, anyone who is the least bit perceptive will see a difference in you. You don’t need to tell anyone.
Now maybe at some later time, when you’re encouraging others, you can share how you prayed about something and how you surrendered. But while you’re in the middle of it all, keep it to yourself.
Why is privacy important?
Why is this important, to keep your surrendering to God private? Well, think about it. It’s the same reason Jesus said to go into your closet, or chamber, and shut the door to pray. It’s just between you and God.
You don’t need other people’s opinions and judgements about how well or how poorly you’re doing in the process. And you don’t want someone else to tell you what they’re surrendering to God, because the human mind invariably will try to make comparisons and you’ll either feel you’re doing a better or worse job of it than the other person.
All those things are just decoys and distractions that get us off track from the work at hand of relinquishing to God what needs to be relinquished and submitting to His will.
Why it’s hard surrendering to God
Now you may be thinking,: Hey James, this all sounds wonderful and I want to do this but I have a hard time actually surrendering to God. I try to but I end up taking back what I gave over to Him. And I take my life back and end up doing what I want to instead of what God wants me to.
I totally hear you. I know exactly how you feel. I have struggled with this as well.
Paul explains why it’s hard to surrender to God. It’s when we’re more materially minded than spiritually minded. In other words, are you approaching life with a spiritual mindset or a material one?
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:7, 8 NIV
If you’re having a hard time surrendering to God, maybe what you really need to focus on is your spiritual growth and progress, a more spiritual perspective on life.
Jesus speaks right to this point in the Sermon on the Mount. He says to quit striving for all the material things in life,
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; Matthew 6:33 KJV
That’s almost a one size fits all solution to any problem we have.
Embracing the mindset of Jesus
Here’s something else that’s been incredibly helpful to me.
One of the things I focus on a lot in my life and encourage others to do is embrace the mindset of Jesus to the best of our ability.
Jesus knew the kingdom of heaven is at hand, now and always.
In heaven, is there anything un-godlike in your heart that needs to be surrendered? Is your life not submitted to God? No! You could say heaven is a state of complete and joyful submission to God’s will, power, authority, and glory. There’s nothing you need to surrender.
To the degree you can bear witness to the kingdom of heaven at hand, acknowledge and accept your perfect relationship to God in heaven, and bring this awareness to your daily life, surrendering to God is not such a difficult task.
Looking at things from heaven’s perspective
From earth’s perspective it appears there are things to be surrendered. But from heaven’s perspective, there’s nothing to surrender. We are simply rejoicing in our relationship with God and the fact we are completely dependent on Him and that He cares for and loves us unconditionally.
If there is something in your life you need to surrender to God, or if you’ve realized you need to surrender your whole self to God’s purpose for your life instead of trying to force your own plans, I encourage you to set aside some time to ponder this deeply.
Go into your prayer closet. Be still. Ask God for help. Be quiet. Listen for God’s direction. And I would encourage you to write down everything God tells you. Put yourself at God’s disposal. Put your life completely in His hands.
Close your physical eyes and open your spiritual eyes to see what is already true in heaven about God’s purpose for you and how you can, and are fulfilling that purpose, as it is in heaven, here and now on earth.
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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
Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT
22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
James 4:7, 10 NIV
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
John 5:19, 30 NLT
19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
John 8:50 KJV
50 I seek not mine own glory:
John 12:49 NLT
49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
Luke 22:42 KJV
42 Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 23:46 NIV
46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
1 Peter 5:6, 7 NIV
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Romans 8:7, 8 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.
8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Matthew 6:33 KJV
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
