A Year of Surrender: Surrendering to God, for His Purpose, and from Distractions

Over the past few days, I have contemplated my word for the year. As I reflected on past words—transparency, wait, and rest—I realized that each once felt impossibly hard in its own season, yet each became an invitation into deeper trust. This year’s word, however, brings its own challenge: surrender. Surrendering to God, for His purposes, and from what no longer serves life or wholeness will not come easily. Yet I believe this call is not about loss, but about alignment. It is an invitation to surrender all that I am and have because God’s hands are safer than my own.

Surrendering To God

Surrendering to something or someone has a connotation of relinquishing our rights, our control. For some of us this type of surrender signals defeat. We may feel as though we have failed or given up. However, surrendering to God is not failure or giving up. In fact, it is a willful act to humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6), take up the Cross daily (Matthew 16:24), and to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). 

Surrendering to God is a choice. It is a daily choice to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It is a choice to say, “Your will be done.” Is this easy? Absolutely not. Is it worth it? Look at the outcomes supplied throughout scripture:

1)   Humility

Humility does not equal weakness. It does not mean that we are not “strong enough.” Humility is actually a strength that permits us to see our own limitations while shifting our focus to God who has no limitations. When we “humble ourselves before the Lord”, we can stop working so hard to be known because “he will lift you up in due time” (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). We can rest in know God is all we need.

 2)   Transformation

Jesus transformed the world in his ultimate act of surrender to the Father in (Luke 22:42). Like Jesus, we are called to surrender and deny ourselves so that we may follow Christ. This allows us to transform internally so that the world may see the light we shine and may “see your good deeds and praise your faither in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16)

 3)   Peace and Rest

Jesus is clear that when we surrender to him, we can come to him “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30). The act of surrendering may be hard; however, it comes with knowing there is rest and peace as a result. Moreover, when we surrender to God, we can also rest knowing he truly has the whole world in his hands and will “make your paths straight” when we trust in him (Proverbs 3:6).

 Surrendering For God’s Purposes

God’s purposes may not always be known to us, yet some of his purposes are quite known: redemption, righteousness, and restoration. These are not abstract ideals, but lived realities God brings about in the lives of His children. God desires us to experience him in such a way that these purposes become our way of life.

All of Scripture is about redemption. Every word is a call to the Savior. Jesus is clear, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever would believe in him, would not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Furthermore, it is through the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:17). And we are called to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” which are characteristics of God (1 Tim. 6:11).

Lastly, restoration is what Jesus brought us on the cross and completed in the resurrection. It is what we are called to seek as we walk in the redemption of Christ, “Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11). Also note that restoration may come through other means. Paul reminds us, “After you have suffered a little while, God will restore you and make you strong firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10). None of us wants to suffer; however, suffering is a part of the world in which we live, but it is not the end of the story. God will redeem and restore us so we may exemplify his righteousness.

Surrender From Distractions

C.S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters writes, “Indeed teh safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” Drifts of distraction may be these gradual, gentle, soft pathways that provide little to no warning of the fall to come. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what removes our surrender to and for God.

What can remove us from our steadfastness in Christ could be hobbies, work, friendships or any other elements of distraction. Peter reminds us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). How do we remain “alert and sober minded”? Surrender. It is in our surrendering to God, his will and way that we “Resist him [the enemy], standing firm in faith…” (1 Peter 5:9). When we resist, surrender from distractions, we can “walk by the spirit…not gratifying the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Moreover, when we are grounded in Christ surrendering to him and his purposes, we can surrender from distractions knowing, “he [God] will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Final Thoughts

                  Surrendering is not easy. Sometimes it is a minute-by-minute practice until it becomes a day-by-day practice, and then a way of life. Surrendering to God, for his purpose, and surrendering from distractions allows us to experience rest in God, live out the righteousness of God, and resist the enemy’s schemes. Practicing surrender in this way allows us to experience our ultimate call, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Challenge Questions:

1) List ways you can surrender whatever you are called to surrender.

2) What are other ways you perceive surrender?

3) List the benefits of surrender to God, for His purpose, and from distractions.