Surrender is a word that is not mentioned much in Christianity unless someone is referring to a life-changing decision or a conversion experience. We might hear "I surrendered my life to the Lord" or "I surrendered my heart to God" or something along those lines.

But what does surrendering to God even mean? That's exactly what we'll be looking at today!

When we hear the term surrender we might think of the end of a war or a dispute, since that's typically when the word surrender is used. That illustration is a good summation of surrendering to God. Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we are willing to fully cease war between our wills and God's will. We want everything to go according to our plan, not God's, and we don't like it when life deviates from our wishes.

Surrendering to God means releasing control of our lives and handing the reins over to Him. It entails us no longer relying on our plans, knowledge, or opinions to direct our lives but instead relying on God's guidance, love, and wisdom. It is in essence declaring ourselves unfit to direct our life and saying that God knows better and will now be the One who makes decisions.

We like to think we have it all figured out. Sure, if we really need help or have no idea what to do, we might ask God to guide us. But when times are good, we rely on ourselves to get things done. We use our human wisdom and understanding to get ourselves through life. Giving God control of our lives doesn't automatically happen when we're saved; it's not a requirement for salvation. Surrendering to God is a conscious choice.

We probably want to fight all this letting go and surrendering. "Why should I surrender to God? What good is that? Won't I be miserable if I do?" While surrendering isn't easy, it doesn't make us miserable. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Many who have surrendered to God say they're at peace and filled with joy. Even when tough times come their way, they still have this inner peace and joy.

How does this happen? It happens because surrender frees us, allows God to work in our lives, and fosters trust in God.

I think we sometimes forget that Christians have a free will. God doesn't have a remote control for each of us; we're not robots. As stated above, we have to choose to let God direct our lives. When we surrender to Him, He has our full cooperation and can thus communicate His plan to us. We work with Him so His plan can be accomplished.

That being said, just because we turn our noses up at God's plan doesn't mean we're able to sabotage it. Because God is God, His plan will always come through in the end. And even if we make mistakes, He redeems them and doesn't allow them to impede His perfect plan. 

This might sound weird, since surrender sounds like we're giving up everything and submitting ourselves to Someone else. Well, we are, but in the end the result is freeing; we no longer have to think about if we're doing the right thing, or if our plan will implode, or worry about the next steps. God relieves us of that burden and takes it upon Himself. Coming to this mindset takes time. But through the help of the Holy Spirit and with time and practice, it will become easier.

When we surrender to God, we literally take our hands off the wheel of our lives. Because of that, we're forced to rely on Him. Trusting God is a staple in our lives and while we may not fully trust God as we begin to hand over our lives to Him, trust will develop as we relinquish more and more to Him.

What does surrendering to God mean to you? Tell me in the comments below!