Surrendering to God is a crucial part to growing as a Christian. If we aren\u2019t willing to surrender to our Creator, then true spiritual growth is pretty much impossible. Because without recognizing His power and yielding to His will, how can we expect to get closer to Him? How can we expect to learn His ways? How can we expect to experience His supernatural hand in our lives when we are in a constant battle against Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God is for us, not against us. So surrendering to Him is for our good. True, it doesn\u2019t always feel that way. Sometimes God allows certain things to happen in our lives that puzzle us. But everything He allows to happen is for pruning, teaching, and refining. There is always a good purpose behind the things that He does and allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?<\/p>Romans 8:31<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
When we are not in a state of surrender, we might miss the opportunity to learn what He is trying to teach us. We might miss the opportunity to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we choose not to surrender to God, we are essentially resisting Him and refusing to submit to His authority. And by doing this, we are doing ourselves a major disservice. We are basically telling God we don\u2019t need Him, and that we can do a better job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Does it Mean to Surrender to God?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, what does it mean to surrender to God? Well, the first thing we should probably do is look at some verses about surrendering to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verse One: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.<\/p>James 4:7<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In this verse, we are told to submit ourselves to God. The word submit is a synonym for surrender. So by surrendering to God, you are submitting to Him; submitting to His will and power. Resisting Satan is another way we can submit or surrender to God. By choosing God over Satan or our own sinful nature, we are choosing to submit to the Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verse Two:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God\u2019s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God\u2014this is your true and proper worship.<\/p>Romans 12:1<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In this verse, Paul urges his brothers and sisters in Christ to offer their bodies as living sacrifices; to live in such a way that pleases God. To surrender and forfeit using our bodies for our own purposes, and to instead choose to do what is holy and acceptable to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verse Three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, \u201cMy Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.<\/p>Mathew 26:39<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Jesus surrendering to God is probably the most profound example we have of surrender. Completely acknowledging the power and authority of God, he fell before Him, petitioning to Him with hope that God would change the outcome of what was to come. Jesus knew that only God had the power to change what was to come. And even after Jesus finished His petition, He prayed for God\u2019s will to prevail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are some powerful verses demonstrating what it means to surrender to God. But there are also some really good examples in the Bible of men and women surrendering to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nBible Stories About Surrendering to God<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let’s look at a couple of Biblical characters who surrendered to God and what happened as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first example that pops in my head is actually Jonah, who we all know did not surrender to God immediately. Jonah Chapter 1 says \u201cThe word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: \u2018Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me<\/em>\u2019. Jonah got up to flee to Tashish from the Lord\u2019s presence.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah was like nope, not doing it! And instead of obeying God, he fled from God. Let\u2019s not even talk about how silly it is to think you can flee from God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah is actually a great example of what refusing to surrender to God can look like. Because of Jonah\u2019s rebellion and disobedience, God had him swallowed up by a big fish. Can you even imagine? God was not playing around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So Jonah prayed from within the belly of this big fish, and God saved Him. So the second time God told Jonah what to do, he did it. He went and warned the people of Nineveh. And the best part is the people of Nineveh surrendered immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah 3:5-6 says \u201cThen the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth — from the greatest to the least. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he issued a decree in Nineveh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And essentially the decree called for all the people of Nineveah to call out earnestly to God and turn from their evil ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you know what happened after they did this? Jonah 3:10 says \u201cGod saw their actions — that they had turned from their evil ways — so God relented from the disaster he had threatened them with. And he did not do it\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the power of surrender!<\/p>\n\n\n
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