I Surrender

I grew up in church and learned early in life the specialized vocabulary of Christianity. Words like righteous, ecclesiastical, and surrender were heard every Sunday. Because the words were part of my upbringing, it never occurred to me that some people had never heard them nor knew the meaning of the words in the context of the church. A few years ago, the word “surrender” caught my attention in a new way.

As I led worship one Sunday morning, I watched the audience while we sang the old hymn, I Surrender All. I noticed many people raised their hands in worship as we sang. A few held their hands with palms up and open as if to receive something from the Lord; others raised both hands high above their heads and waved them rhythmically as if signaling for help. These examples are appropriate, acceptable, and show the heart of the worshipper. My favorite was the hand-raising gesture I have seen on hundreds of old TV westerns I watched as a kid. When the cowboy was pursued and caught, he invariably raised his hands in surrender. He submitted his will and actions to his pursuer.

At that moment, I realized “surrender” is not a church buzzword, it is an act of obedience; “not my will by Thine be done.” I am reminded of the adventures with my sailboat. As long as the sails were down, I had control of my direction, but I had no power to actually go anywhere. Once I raised the sails, I was at the mercy of the wind.

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NASB)

The wind in my sails is the Holy Spirit and it’s my responsibility to make sure I am ready to go where the Spirit takes me. By seeking God’s will through prayer, reading the Bible, following his commands, and listening to Him, I am prepared to move forward on my journey of faith.

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:23-25 NASB)