A Heart of Surrender
A blog by Kennedy Robinson
I can remember when I was a child, I hated nail polish. I hated the smell, look, and everything that came with nail polish. As well as hating nail polish, I hated sandals and flip-flops. Now, hating these things is considered out of the ordinary for a little girl, but I rather have unpolished nails and tennis shoes on, anyway. One day before church, my mom was forcing me to wear sandals, and I knew she would try to paint my toes. So, like every kid who doesn’t like something, I threw a tantrum. I mean crying, screaming, and a little convulsing just to add some razzle dazzle to this tantrum. My mom, who was already under the stress of getting herself and two other kids ready, left me in my room with my tantrum and didn't paint my toes. I can remember thinking, YES, the tantrum is the secret formula. But it was out of the ordinary for my mom to let me win this fight. She stopped fighting a fight that was never ending, and she surrendered. This fight had gone on for years, and she finally stopped. Now I can't speak for why she stopped, but "Victory is mine, says the Lord." As much as I look back and laugh at the many tantrums as I'm headed to the nail shop, that moment showcases a daily life for my mother. A life of surrender. She learned how, whether big or small, the Lord would take care of it.
One of the biggest lessons we learn and digest as Christians is to have a heart of surrender. Surrender can mean ceasing resistance, ceasing fighting, and submitting to someone's authority! My Holy Spirit definition is giving God infinite control of my will and my way and putting them under the subjection of God. Now, those two definitions aren't vastly different, but differ when you look at the subject of surrender. One subject is to cease fighting against something, while the other is to give up control. When thinking of surrender, I am reminded of the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows what his physical death looks like and what's about to happen, and he calls the disciples to the garden so that they can keep watch while he prays. The book of Matthew 26 gives the most descriptive encounter. This book describes Jesus as being sorrowful and troubled. He knew that the physical end and turmoil were soon to come, and in his humanity, he was troubled not only for himself but for his people. In verse 28, he says to the disciples, "My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow." (Matt.26:28 AMP) He proceeded his walk into the garden, leaving his disciples to watch, and he fell to the ground. We pick up one of the most gut-wrenching verses in the entire Bible. The man who saved and delivered us into eternal life with our father was tasked with an assignment that filled him with momentary regret. He looks to heaven and says, "My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as you will and desire." (Matt. 26:39 AMP) A beautiful depiction of a heart of surrender. Although what was set before him was a physical death, his heart still said, "not my will, but yours be done." I like to say that surrender has a voice , posture , and heart. As we unpack this story in Matthew we'll view Jesus' voice, posture, and heart. The voice of surrender says "not my will but your will be done.” It frees us from our plans, our way , and our will and puts the faith back in Jesus. The posture of surrender is bowed to God. The scripture says he walks into the garden and falls to his knees. Being on your knees gives reverence to the things above you. Now every time you need to surrender something you don't have to fall to your knees like Jesus did. But when you are praying in your personal time this posture gives reverence to the Father above. Lastly, the heart of surrender is sensitive to the plan of God. Whether or not the end was favorable to Jesus his heart was still sensitive to God's reasoning for sending him here. The statement "not my will but your will be done" didn't come from momentary surrender but from a heart that was set on surrender. Surrender was Jesus's lifestyle not just his choice. If Jesus, in his death, took the position of surrender, why wouldn't we? Now we may not be at a physical experience of death, but you as well as myself have experienced some things that are beyond fixing. And in those experiences, surrender relieved the pressure to control, fix, and manage life.
When I look back over the years of my life and evaluate how many tantrums I threw about my nails being painted, I am honestly tickled. The very thing that I resisted, I now look forward to. Before you get to years of resistance, try surrendering. When first learning about the concept of surrender, I would always say, “I put down _________ and pick up peace, joy, strength, and grace." There were moments where I needed to pick up all these things, but there were also moments where I needed to pick up the joy of the Lord. This phrase will look different based on the situation, but will shift how you think about surrender. Life has its worries and stressors, and God gives us surrender so that he can bear those things for us. When thinking of a practical example of surrender, I am reminded of a car warranty. Now the warranty practically covers everything. When I take my car to the dealership for whatever I need, they check my warranty. Because my warranty will let them know what I have to pay for and what is covered. Surrender is our warranty. Whether I need spiritual maintenance or simply cleaning, it is always in effect. Jesus has covered the price of the maintenance, and all I need to do is show up and receive the benefits of my warranty. I want to relieve you of some worry. You won't ever have a resolution for all of your problems. There will be things out of your control, and only God can fix them. Knowing that leaves you knowing that surrender isn't just an option but the only option. The sooner you decide and realize that you alone cannot fix the problems of the world, you'll stop using surrender as a backup plan.
As we travel through life, we encounter people, places, and experiences that we’ll wish and pray for a fix to. We’ll overthink, over-analyze, doubt, lose hope, and look for an escape. But in doing those things, we never consider surrender. Surrender often feels like giving up or allowing something or someone to have the upper hand. And in reality, it is. It’s allowing God full control without restraint. Maybe you fear what will happen to the car when it’s not in your control, or you’re simply scared. I’ll encourage you that every small act of surrender is one step forward in a closer relationship with God. A heart of surrender is a heart that knows God. You know his character by knowing that he is a comforter, provider, healer, deliverer, friend, and father. A heart of surrender is a heart that seeks God. Trusting him becomes easier when you know more about him. You can get to know him by reading his words, sharing devotionals with friends, and attending your local church services. Last, a heart of surrender seeks to grow in God. Your faith, hope, and trust in the Father have to constantly be growing. And as you grow in him, you will dig roots in the relationship, and when the time to surrender comes, you’ll say, “Not my will, but your will be done.” So when faced with all that life brings, take a deep breath and say, “I put down _____ and pick up trust in the Father."