Surrender is not the casual, spur-of-the-moment euphoria of “giving your life to Christ” – although such an experience can lead to true surrender.   Surrender, instead, is the rejection of your right to yourself, recognizing you now belong to Jesus completely and totally through the blood of the cross.  It means identifying with the work of God in the redemption of others.

Surrender first requires repentance.  A change of mind about sin and your powerlessness over it clears the way for your ability to release control.  Both repentance and surrender are interwoven into an ongoing and progressive pattern the Holy Spirit uses to transform us into the image of Christ.  Surrender is a continuous yielding of your life to His will and guidance.

In a spiritually young Christian, surrender may appear simply as a way to submit your sinful nature and habits to Christ’s healing power.   “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9   This begins when you first place our trust in Him, acknowledging your need for salvation, and it deepens as you grow in your understanding of His love and His purposes for you.

Paul speaks of this transformation in Romans 12:1-2.  Here he writes: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." This renewal of the mind is central to surrender. It means allowing God to reshape our thoughts, desires, and perspectives so that they align with His.

As you mature, surrender means trusting Him even when you don’t understand His ways.  1 Peter 5:6-7 exhorts us to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." This humility and complete trust are tangible expressions of surrender – a recognition that He is in control and you are not.

Ultimately, self-will must be crucified and complete control relinquished to Christ that you may be aligned with the Will of the Father.   Philippians 2:12-13 reminds us, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,  …. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  It’s about your heart and will being devoted to Christ for the sole purpose of God’s redemptive work of mankind.  To whom have you surrendered?  Whose work are you doing?