Let Go and Let God: The Power of Surrender
A lot of us think we ought to have all the right answers and take control of things on our own to show our strength and leadership. We lock our knees and dig in our heels for seasons at a time because we don’t know how else to navigate the constant pressures of life – financial burdens, health challenges, busy schedules, and a constant stream of decisions that threaten to make or break the future.
All these distractions – both good and bad – fight for our attention, try to steal our joy, and tempt us to make ourselves the rulers of our own life (and make a name for ourselves). In the process, we neglect the God who actually reigns supreme over all things. Whether this means shouldering the never-ending burdens of family and work responsibilities or making seemingly calculated moves to maintain your grip on a secure future, everyone has attempted to manage life on their own. And while we think it shows resilience and strength to try to handle things without help (“I got this!” or like an immature child often says “I can do it all by myself!”), the constant pursuit of independence and control ultimately reveals a major human deficiency: a lack of spiritual maturity and trust in God.
This human position contradicts all that Jesus commands about being a disciple. In order to follow Jesus, we need to release control and posture ourselves in total surrender to His will. In fact, there are several passages in Scripture that attest to this self-denying call of trust and surrender. Take Matthew 4:18-20, for example:
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed Him.”
This is a wonderful picture of people dropping everything they know to follow Jesus and do His will. These men risked losing their families, occupations, security and identity – things they had worked their entire lives to muster under their control – to live a life with Jesus and submit to His will for their lives. Here are two other passages depicting this call to radical surrender.
Mark 10:21: “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ He said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’” (By the way, this does not mean you have to sell all that God has given you (unless He puts that on your heart), but Jesus knew that this man was so focused on his material possessions, he would be unable to follow Jesus, but that is for another message another time.)
James 4:13-15: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”
These passages demonstrate that following the Lord involves major sacrifice. But why should we be willing to give up a life of apparent security to follow God? Matthew 16:24-25 addresses this question, revealing that when we deny ourselves the pursuit of our own earthly kingdom and glory, we establish a reward with eternal consequences:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.’”
When we trust in the Lord with all our heart and submit to Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:5-6), the Lord makes clear that abandoning our pursuit of material riches on earth and our own glory is well worth the risk. Vertical Worship echoes this message in its song “Over and Over.” As you read these lyrics to yourself, let the truth of the words wash over you and claim it as your own.
“I gain it all in the letting go,
So I let it go – You are in control.
I find my life when I give it up,
So I give it up – I can trust Your love.”
So often our agendas pile up with a list of chores and errands needing to be attended to, and many of us feel tired trying to do more and be more. Rather than clenching your jaw and balling your fist to grimace through life’s unbearable weight on your own, release your grip and open your palms in surrender to the One who has already borne the weight of the world.
God has given you everything you have – your material possessions, your job, your relationships, your family, and your time. Ask the Lord what needs to be prioritized in your life. Ask Him to reveal His will to you. Ask Him to help you live your life according to His will. And ask Him to give you the will and the way to make it happen. You can’t do it on your own.
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
Will you give up trying to control your life for the sake of trusting God and God’s plan for your life? I can assure you that if you do, there is a whole new life to be found – one of blessings in this life and eternal treasures and riches in the life to come with Him.
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