Let's talk about surrender.

To surrender is to give up or yield something. The Biblical definition is when a believer completely gives up their own will and subjects their thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the wills and teachings of a higher power. Meaning we give up our wills, ideas, and thoughts and completely trust God. We can wonder why it’s hard to surrender to God. Well, it could be that many of us have a lack of trust in God. 

God wants us to trust him. An example of surrendering to God could be surrendering your anxiety to Him.   If you are anxious, God cares for us and wants our thoughts and anxieties to be given to Him. In my life, I get anxious that I need to keep the kitchen clean. It's hard to not listen to the anxiety and fixate on making sure the kitchen is always clean. God wants us to fix our focus on him, not on our anxieties. He wants us to deny the flesh daily and focus on Him.

God wants us to surrender our all to him. He wants us to put up a white flag and give him everything. I’m learning this in therapy currently. The flesh doesn’t want us to surrender, the flesh wants what the flesh wants.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:6 tells us to not be anxious. Did you know that the Bible tells us not to be anxious so many times. Anxiety is one of so many things we can and should surrender.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7

God cares for you; he doesn’t want you to be anxious.

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” - Luke 9.23

This verse in Luke is Jesus saying that if you want to be his disciple, you have to deny the flesh, take up the cross, and follow him. This is an example of surrendering in the Bible. We have to deny the flesh daily. It’s hard to do that. The flesh doesn’t want you to do that. It’s important to surrender to the Lord. If I’m anxious about something, I need to give God that thought of anxiety. He is Lord of everything, including our minds, which is something we don’t often think about.

Prayer:

Lord, I pray for whoever is reading this. That you help them surrender - help me surrender control to You. You are Lord of our lives and our thoughts. Do your will in our life, Lord. Nothing is off limits to You. We need you. We are desperate for You. We love you and thank you, Lord, that we can surrender everything to You. Even if we pick it back up again, we can keep giving it to you. Amen.