The Power of Surrender: What Does It Mean To Surrender To God and How To Surrender?

The Power of Surrender: What Does It Mean To Surrender To God And How To Surrender?

What is the Power of Surrender?

Choosing to surrender can look different for everyone. There are times when surrender is easy because our plans miraculously match with God’s Will. Unfortunately, that is not often the case. Often, surrendering to God’s plan is not the path of least resistance. It is a road filled with lots of resistance, numerous unknowns, and our enormous fears staring back at us.

The thing we tend to forget in the middle of fighting against surrender is the powerful things that the Lord can do with our surrender. When we bravely face the unknowns and fears, the Lord shows up in mighty ways.

Take Jonah as an example. When he finally surrendered—after being swallowed by a big fish—and went to Nineveh, a city of people turned away from their wicked ways and surrendered their lives to the Lord. Without Jonah following God’s plan, the people of Nineveh may have never turned from their sinful ways (Jonah 3:1-10).

That is the power of surrender.

Why Should We Surrender?

Not only does our surrender have a domino effect that pushes others towards surrender, but it takes the weight of life off of our shoulders. I would rather God plan my life than for me to screw it up on my own. When the world sees how God uses our surrender and creates something beautiful that we never could’ve done on our own, He receives the glory.

Surrendering is also a good reminder that it is not up to us to save the world. There is a Savior that’s already saved the world. Jesus died on the cross for this very reason. When we let go and allow God to mold and shape our lives, His power shines brightly.

When we surrender, striving takes a backseat. We can go with the flow more easily. We desire to praise the Lord when we celebrate and when our heartbreaks.

We should also surrender because God says so. Even though we hate being told what to do, surrendering our lives to the Lord is best. The Lord wants us to have hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). God knows that the world may try to strip that from us; however, our surrender means we will always have hope and a future.

What Does The Power of Surrender Look Like?

Surrender looks like dropping our selfish ambition in all things. It requires us to be kingdom-minded in our home, workplace, and wherever our feet step each day. It’s waking up with open hands while we whisper a prayer to God that this day is His.

I can more easily surrender when I am in my Bible every day. Stories like Jonah are a constant reminder to keep my eyes and life pointed towards Jesus. It reinforces a daily relationship with the Lord that can easily take a backseat to a busy life if I am not careful.

When we read the stories and miracles throughout scripture of the average person surrendering to God’s plan, it looks like surrender. I don’t see a single example of a person in the Bible who has regretted following what the Lord has asked them to do.

Examples of Surrendering to God In The Bible

An example of this is Abraham and Isaac.

Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, and he had waited a very long time for his son. The Lord asked Abraham to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham was a professional at surrendering at this point. He knew the consequences of disobedience, so he obediently took Isaac—his long-sought-after son—up to a mountain to sacrifice him. Abraham got as far as retrieving his knife to kill his son before the Lord stopped him. The Lord blessed Abraham’s surrender by promising him a great family lineage (Genesis 22:1-19).

When we surrender to God’s plan for our lives, our lives will not always look like what the world thinks it should. If people knew what Abraham was doing, they would have talked him out of it or quickly whisked Isaac away from his crazy father. I won’t begin to act like I understand why God asked this of Abraham, but it shows that there is not a set formula to surrender.

Surrender will look different for each one of us. Our God is creative like that.

Why Is Surrender Hard?

The easy answer is that surrender is hard because we are flawed and selfish human beings. We want to be in control of our own lives. We want to please the people around us so that no one is uncomfortable. We create expectations for our lives, and we fear letting go.

Fear is often the culprit of why we have such a hard time with surrender. A decade ago, God called our family to adopt a child. When reality sank in about what we were about to do, I became very fearful. I felt like God had called the wrong person. I wanted to take back my initial surrender. I began to think that God had made a mistake. I was full of fear and wanted to run away from it all.

I didn’t run from what the Lord was asking me to do. I prayed and wept. I brought my fears to the Lord. I asked God to give me peace, and He did just that. Now, I have a daughter that I can’t imagine not being in my life. She is a blessing only made possible by my surrender amidst feeling fearful.

Even if we know that God’s plans are the best, it can be hard to live that out in everyday life. It’s a good reminder that feelings are fleeting. Often, how we feel will have to catch up to our surrender, and that’s OK.

What Can We Learn From Jonah and Jesus About Surrender?

Jonah’s initial lack of surrender showed how messed up things can become when we run from God’s plan for our lives. I don’t think we are powerful enough to mess up God’s plans, but known disobedience comes with consequences. When he finally surrendered, God was able to work miraculously while using a flawed human being that still pouted when God saved Nineveh.

A perfect example of surrender is Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives right before His arrest and crucifixion. He asked the Lord to release Him from the gruesome death He was about to face, but He also wanted the Lord’s Will done. It’s a beautiful and perfect prayer of surrender.

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Surrender is God’s Will over ours. Jesus’ death on the cross is the perfect example of surrender. Jonah’s surrender wasn’t perfect, but I think we can all relate to his thoughts and actions. God was able to use Jonah’s imperfect surrender.

Freedom Found in the Power of Surrender

We find freedom in surrender. It may not look like freedom to the world, but it’s the type of freedom that no person can ever take from you. We get to live connected to Christ in a way only made possible by our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That’s true freedom. That’s the power of surrender.

In John 15:1-17, Jesus tells the parable of the vine and the branches. Jesus shares how He is the vine, and we are the branches. We cannot bear fruit without the vine. Without the vine we are tossed to the side like a stick to whither away.

As we cling to the vine, a pruning happens so that we can produce as much fruit as possible. With every surrender, our faithfulness multiplies. Sometimes, we see how it multiplies, but many times we may not fully see it this side of heaven. I cannot help but wonder how many generations of people knew God because Jonah went to Nineveh. I am guessing that it’s more than we can imagine.

The people of Nineveh were set free from their sin and shame. All because of Jonah’s obedience. We were set free because of Jesus’ willingness to hang on a cross for us.

The power of surrender is that we get to live free.

Written By Lauren Elizabeth Miller.

Lauren Elizabeth Miller is the author of Made for More: My Story of God’s Grace and Glory. Lauren serves people through words and points them to Jesus as the blogger and creator at laurenelizabethmiller.com. She lives in Nolensville, Tennessee, with her husband, Scott, and four children. 

Learn more about Lauren here.