We tend to view surrender as a negative word. A few leaders refuse to use the word surrender because people don’t want to hear it. Surrender is a challenge. A challenge is a call to engage in a battle. Surrender is a battle that we must face.
Surrender means to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield. While we’re on the topic of challenging words lets go ahead and look at the word yield—to give place or precedence: acknowledge the superiority of someone else.
I don’t live in Medieval times, so I haven’t been asked to surrender to the land-hungry knight who would like to own my hunting grounds. But every day I have the opportunity to yield.
The traffic laws require that I yield. I have to give place or precedence to someone else when I enter the roundabout, turn in traffic, or hear the sirens of an emergency vehicle. I have grown to accept this yielding without much frustration. Actually, it is for my benefit to yield in traffic—it keeps me alive.
Hold onto that thought of benefit, while we look at surrender.
As we turn to God, praise, and trust Him, we have the privilege of surrendering to God’s love and plans for us that are good acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:2) Surrender replaces reacting to circumstances with responding to God. We move forward to victory as we surrender. The most powerful and impacting example of yielding to God’s purpose for victory is written in the gospels.
Luke 23:44-47
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”
Because Jesus willingly submitted to God, eternal salvation is offered for all. Victory for eternity snatched from the jaws of defeat. God’s purposes always triumph. It is for victory that we surrender.
Surrender requires a proper perspective of who we are in relation to God. God is superior; we yield to Him. The place of subordination is where the human heart wants to rebel. An intense spiritual battle occurs and the only victory is in surrender.
James 3:17 (CSB)
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
God’s wisdom brings us into beautiful relationship with Him. In His love, those same qualities of purity, peace, gentleness, compliance (or yielding), mercy, consistency and authenticity benefit us in our relationships with others.