Definitions of Surrender:
Surrender (n):
- resignation: acceptance of despair.
- giving up, yielding: a verbal act of admitting defeat.
- capitulation: the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions).
Surrender (v):
- give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of another.
- the delivery of a principal into lawful custody.
- relinquish possession or control over.
Frightful, ain’t it? The very word ‘surrender’ connotes frightful images of being bounded in chains, and delivered into the hands of a gaoler or hangman, to be sold into slavery or condemned to execution. No wonder, then, many of us find it hard to surrender to the Will of God. It means all those things listed above, relinquishing control, capitulation, resignation, etc. And yet, God tells us that surrendering to Him is a positive experience, that you will always be the better for it, that it always fills you with hope rather than despair, that it always means victory, and never defeat. So is God lying, or are we not yet understanding the real meaning of the word ‘surrender’?
God doesn’t ask us to let down ourselves, to stop fighting, or to sit around doing nothing. Rather He asks us, and mind you, He always asks us, to stop worrying, to give Him control of our lives, to walk in His Way. Surrendering to The Lord is not accepting defeat, but accepting the fact that He is our Creator, our Maker, our Planner, and hence a better judge of our lives. And that is what we find difficult as humans. Giving control to someone else of our lives. Accepting His Will for us. Not letting go of our problems, so that he may solve them in His Way.
Look around, and you will find posters of exhortations to people to take control of their lives. A popular car ad will tell you to “Take control of your life today.” Ditto with an insurance investment adviser. Everyone, everywhere, wants to be in the driver’s seat. But to drive a vehicle, you need to know the path first. The destination needs to be known, the path that leads you to that destination needs to be known, and the problems that may occur on the way need to be planned for. Sadly, at most times, we know only the destination, or the path, or the problems. And some times, we know neither!!! And yet, we are reluctant to hand over control to The Father, who knows not only our problems and our paths, but also our destination. And mind you, the destination will always be beautiful. Not just beautiful, but the most beautiful. The best. The most happening. The final fulfillment. Because He wants nothing for you, but the best.
What happens if you do not hand over control to Him? Isn’t He the Creator, the Maker, without whose Will nothing can happen? Then if everything’s going to happen His Way, what difference does it make if I give Him control or not? The result will always be His Will, right? To this, a friend of mine gave a very beautiful answer,
In life, God plans what we go through. But it is We who choose how We go through it.
Even His plan will be marred, if we approach it the wrong way. A beautiful gift given to us by him will not have the same meaning, if we do not accept it the right way. And that will make even a victory seem like a defeat.
When we surrender to Him, He does not ask us to surrender our dreams, our hopes, & our desires. In fact, He wants us to uphold them, keep them always in our mind, and constantly pray to Him for them. As Jesus says, “Ask and you shall receive; Seek and you shall find; Knock and it shall be opened to you.” But whenever you ask, do not lose faith in Him. Ask with the belief that He will give it to you, with your desire firmly set in place in Him, through Him and with Him.
6 And the Lord continued, “Listen to what that corrupt judge said. 7 Now, will God not judge in favour of his own people who cry to Him day and night for help? Will He be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, He will judge in their favour and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He comes?”
(Luke 18:6-8)
And in another place Jesus says this,
9 Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? 10 Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? 11 Bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
(Matthew 7:9-11)
So God never says that He will not give us what we ask of. He also even says that He will give us exactly what we ask for. Then why don’t we just have faith in Him, that He will do it His way, and not our way, and surrender to His Will? Surrender your worries to Him, your problems to Him, not your desires or your solutions. Because when you surrender your desires and wants to Him, you are indirectly stating that you have little faith in your desires, and in Him, who will fulfill your desires. Believe that what you need is good, that what you need is His promise to you, and hope with your whole being that it will be given to you, and wait patiently. Do not doubt in His power, looking at the situation around you, or the impossibility of your desire, or depend on your and others’ intelligence. For God puts the plans of the wise to shame, and raises the fools with honor.
How do we surrender ourselves to His Will? It is not simple, but not impossible either. Surrender things that you have no control over to Him first. Like issues about your health. You have partial control over it, in the sense that you can eat right, exercise well, and keep in good shape. But there have been many who have stayed fit all their lives, yet succumbed to some illness, while some who have just binged endlessly have remained relatively safe. So hand over your health problems over to Him. He will take care of it. Surrender your career to Him. You have no control over the recession, unless you are an investment banker ;), nor do you have control on your status in the organization. Many a good man has been laid-off for no fault of his. So do not fret, just surrender your worries to Him. And slowly, surrender control for everything that you do, the food you eat, the walk you take, the clothes you wear, to Him. Give Him control and watch Him create miracles by guiding you. And as I said earlier, He, despite being God, always asks you first. And if you are willing to let Him do it His Way, then you will see how wonderfully He fulfills all your desires.
Have I been able to surrender myself to the Lord? Have I given Him control over my life? No. But I’m trying to. By giving Him things which I have no control over. My health, my relationships, my career, my travel, these are a few things I have minimal control over. So I let Him guide me, across these spheres. And I pray that I may slowly, but surely, let Him take control over my life completely. So that in His guidance, I’ll live life to the full!!!
I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.
John 10:10
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