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Living a life of complete surrender

How to live in complete obedience, righteousness, and holiness

What the world defines as surrender is to stop resisting an enemy or opponent. It means to give up a fight after one has perceived defeat is sure because of a lack of capacity or resources to keep fighting. In this case, a person, right, or possession is usually handed over due to compulsion or demand.

However, surrender has a different meaning in God's kingdom and our relationship with God. Firstly, there's no enemy or opponent when it comes to surrendering to God. God is never in a brawl or battle with you. He doesn't force you to surrender anything to Him. Instead, surrendering in a Christian context is willingly handing over one's life, will, future, and everything to God because you trust and have faith in Him.

To surrender to God is to completely obey God's Word and live in righteousness and holiness daily. But how does one lives a life of complete surrender to God? How does surrendering reflect in our daily lives and walk with God? These are what we shall discuss.

Salvation is the first step of complete surrender.

The first step towards living a life of complete surrender is to surrender your life to God. You must transfer the ownership and control of your life to God literally. However, it must be willingly done, as stated earlier. The Bible records in Revelation 3:20 that Jesus is knocking at the door of your life. But you alone have the choice to open the door of your heart for Him to come in and be in charge.

To surrender your life is to become born again. It means accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and living in obedience to His Word. According to Paul, you must be crucified with Christ so that He will begin to live in you (Galatians 2:20). You must deny yourself the pleasures of sin and embrace a new life in Jesus.

You must lose your will, plans, and desires to God's will and purpose for your life. That is the most crucial surrender any man will do because it marks the beginning of your relationship with God.

Develop a relationship with God.

It is not enough to surrender your life to God; you must develop a solid relationship with Him. You must spend time reading and studying the Bible. The Word of God builds your faith and confidence to trust Him with your life and make Him in charge. God's Word also purifies you because you learn about God's ways daily, discovering areas where you must improve your life and make it match up with God's standard (John 17:17)

Another way to build a personal relationship with God is by praying. No relationship can thrive without continuous communication. Prayer is how you speak to God and know His heart. The more you pray, the more He reveals His plan and purpose for your life. And the more you know God's plan and purpose, the more you surrender yours for His.

Seeking God's guidance is also a way to develop a relationship with Him. Consult Him before you take any step or make a decision. You must know His thoughts about your life per time and be ready to obey His instructions even when it doesn't align with your plans.

Surrendering is a journey.

Living a life of complete surrender is not a one-off thing you do; It does not stop at the point of accepting Christ into your life. Instead, it's a lifelong process and journey.

Colossians 2:6 says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." You must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).

The journey of surrender involves conscious efforts to live according to God's Word and maintain holiness. Many believers choose only certain areas of their life to surrender to God. For example, they might choose to surrender their relationships to God but be in complete control of their careers and finances. God requires that you trust Him in every area of your life.

That is why you must take an inventory of your life daily and identify areas that you have not surrendered to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to trust God completely in every aspect of your life.

Let go of your desires and trust God.

There are moments when it seems impossible to surrender. Jesus experienced this in the Garden of Gethsemane when the time of His suffering and crucifixion drew nearer. However, He surrendered to God's will and chose to die for the sin of the world (Luke 22:42).

Sometimes, God's plan for your life wouldn't make sense. So you will struggle with either sticking to your plan and solution or obeying God's will. When you feel this way, know that God's ways and thoughts are different from yours (Isaiah 55:8-9). For example, God instructed the children of Israel to march around the wall of Jericho to destroy it (Joshua 6:1–27). God, through His prophet Elisha, told Namaan to wash himself seven times in the Jordan river to be healed of leprosy (Joshua 6:1–27). These instructions sound weird, but the results proved that trusting God always pays. Therefore, you must trust in God and not lean on your understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Know that God's plans for you are good and not evil to give you a future and a hope, so trust Him and let go of your desires (Jeremiah 29:11).

Final Thoughts

Living a life of complete surrender, obedience, righteousness, and holiness is a challenging yet rewarding journey.

It requires a deep personal relationship with God, identifying areas that need surrendering, letting go of our desires, practicing obedience, and striving for righteousness and holiness. As we continue on this journey, we will experience God's love, grace, and mercy in profound ways and become the people He has called us to be. Let us embrace this journey with faith and trust in God, knowing He will guide us every step of the way.