I SURRENDER

When I was a young kid I loved playing army. It was great when you would approach your friends unexpectedly and say to them, “Surrender!” Their hands would immediately go up in the air!

God does not sneak up on us, but He does approach us with the His constant voice to surrender to Him in all situations. The Apostle Paul challenges us in Romans, to “Give yourselves completely to God... surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes." Romans 6:13 This is a pure picture of true worship.

“Surrender” is an unpopular, yet a humbling word. Many times we don’t welcome it. It is doing what God wants rather than what we want, being the person that God wants us to be rather than who we want to be in situations.

Surrender evokes unpleasant images of admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game, or yielding to a stronger opponent. The word is almost always used in a negative context. For example, captured criminals surrender to the authorities.

In our world we're taught, “I have rights,” “I have the right,” “Never give up,” and “Never give in,” so we don't view surrendering as a healthy option. If winning and getting my way is everything, surrendering is unthinkable.

Yet, the Bible teaches us that instead of “fighting for our rights,” that we are to yield, submit, obey, and surrender. This is the higher and healthy road. And by surrendering to God, we enter into the heart of worship. This is true worship . . . bringing pleasure to God as we give ourselves completely to Him.

Surrendering is best demonstrated through obedience, by cooperating with your Creator. Instead of what I want or how I feel, we stop, and say, "Yes Lord" to whatever He asks of you.

Surrendered people obey God's word, even when it doesn't make sense. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.