The Beauty of Surrender: Why Yielding to Christ Is Gaining, Not Losing

By Kristin Gyimah

One of the many cool things about having kids who love Jesus are the song requests that come up during our car rides. Without fail, at some point, we eventually come across a kid’s version of a song I’m familiar with from my childhood. Or, I introduce them to a staple song that I pray will stay with them as they grow. And trust me when I tell you, once they get ahold of the words, they are singing with all of their hearts and from every single part of their bellies! Their childlike faith and unconditional trust of Jesus is admirable and also what I believe He desires from all of us; children and adults, alike.

This is true for those new to relationship with Him and those who have been walking with Him for many years. As I am writing this, one of the songs on this summer’s VBS rotation that comes to mind has lyrics that say, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take Him at His word; just to rest upon His promise, and to know ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. O, for grace to trust Him more.” What a beautiful and necessary reminder that we can trust Jesus. That, actually, it is sweet to trust in Him!  

Proverbs 3:5-6 also tells us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” I’m going to go out on a limb and assume there’s a high probability that most of us have heard this scripture at some point in our lives. And even if you’ve heard those verses 1,000 times, some might still ask the questions: What does that really look like? What does it look like to really trust the Lord?

What does it mean to really trust Jesus?

If that’s you, I can assure you that you are not alone. I, for one, have certainly asked those questions. But, as I continue to grow closer to Jesus, I’ve learned that trusting the Lord looks like believing that He’s exactly who He says He is. It looks like not just believing but knowing that God can see things that we cannot see. It looks like a willingness to release control and trust that, in all things, He knows what’s best. That He truly knows the end from the beginning and that He’s working out parts of the story we don’t even know (could) exist. Said differently, it’s a complete surrender and acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, not just as our Savior, but also as our Lord.  The Lord of our thoughts and our words. The Lord of our bodies and our ways. The Lord of our present and our future.

No matter how intellectual we may subscribe to (or aspire to) be, our understanding as humans is limited. We don’t have the capacity to fully understand what, when, how and/or why God does what He does. We can, however, have faith that He’s at work in every area of our lives – even when we can’t see it. We can stand firm in the fact that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

It's probably also worth noting that the word “all” in Proverbs 3:5-6 isn’t used by happenstance. Like anything else in the Bible, its use is intentional. God doesn’t just want some of our heart – He wants it all. He’s kind, loving and merciful, yes. But, He’s also a jealous God. He wants all of us. All of our mind; all of our will; and, all of our emotions. He wants all of our soul to submit and surrender to His Spirit. Praise God, though, that we aren’t expected to do any of this on our own. That even in our surrender we can turn to Him for help!

"God doesn’t just want some of our heart – He wants it all. He’s kind, loving and merciful, yes. But, He’s also a jealous God. He wants all of us."

The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 walks us through four different types of soil, each representing the condition of human hearts. In this parable, the state of the soil (or heart) impacts a person's ability to respond to God and His Word. A heart that is good "soil" lets the Word of God penetrate and transform the inner person. It is poised and positioned to receive direction and correction from the Holy Spirit, open to being pruned by God, and willing to live for Jesus. It’s a heart that understands choosing to trust Jesus is the most powerful decision you could make and one that is willing to be transformed by Him and His Word. 

Our ability to surrender is fueled by God's grace

According to Merriam-Webster, a primary definition of surrender is “the action of yielding one’s person or giving up the possession of something especially into the power of another.” When we choose to yield our lives to Christ, we acknowledge that our lives are not our own and we, therefore, invite the Lord to have His way in and through us. I am learning more and more that the ability to surrender is fueled by God’s grace. He gives us the grace to surrender. He gives us the grace to trust Him. He gives us the grace to recognize and understand that He is in control.

The same God who created the heavens and the earth, created us. So, the truth is: He knows us better than we could ever begin to know ourselves. In a practical sense, it can only benefit us to surrender every aspect of our life to Him. In a spiritual sense, it’s what we were created to do.

Complete surrender recognizes that it’s a privilege to be able to trust in Jesus. It isn’t much different than anything else that comes from God, in the sense that it’s a choice. Surrender is a conscious decision that acknowledges that God is a good Father who wants to help us each and every day of our lives. It is a byproduct of a heart that is postured to allow the Lord to lead the way. It’s our response to the finished work of the cross and a reminder that we’re not expected to do life alone. Surrender is a yielding; a trusting; and an acknowledgment of God’s reign, protection and sovereignty. This understanding allows us to truly rest in God. It’s a mindset that says, Lord, I give you every aspect of my life and I choose to release the desire to be in control. 

"The more we mature in Christ, the better we’re able to see that surrendering all is wisdom."

If we’re not careful, it’s easy to think that when you let go of something, you are putting yourself in a bad situation. It’s the idea that once I let go of control, I am somehow now at a disadvantage. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a different train of thought, however, that comes as you continue to allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. The more we mature in Christ, the better we’re able to see that surrendering all is wisdom. The more we recognize the blessing of having a heart ready to receive His Word and Spirit, the more fertile our lives become for Him to grow His fruit within us.

There is a deeper level of vulnerability and intimacy that unlocks when we allow every wall of self-protection to fall, and we invite God into every part of our hearts. Each day, we have an opportunity to say: "Lord, this is Your day and my life is not my own. Therefore, I invite you to have Your way." You cannot lose when you surrender your life to the Lord and understand that God is good and therefore can only do good. You cannot lose when you give God your yes and allow Him to work in, on and through you. You cannot lose when you draw near to Him and allow His Spirit to produce fruit in your life. You cannot lose when you cast your cares on Him and allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. You simply cannot lose when you honor Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 

I don’t know what memories you’ve been replaying in your mind, or what burdens you’ve been carrying that keep you awake at night. I also don’t know who you may still need to forgive or what pain you may need to release to God. Nonetheless, I pray that this message serves as a reminder that we all have the opportunity to surrender everything to Jesus. It is my hope that you’re able to see surrender as an invitation to rest in God's strength versus a sign of weakness. I pray that you're able to take the pressure off of yourself to be the one to figure out everything on your own.

May we no longer equate the idea of surrender with losing; and, instead, may we see it as winning! May we see it as gain and proudly raise a white flag and tell the Lord that we give up. May we give up our prideful thoughts and abandon our selfish ways. May we give up the idea that our way is best and stop playing lower-case “god" in our own lives. May we give up our tendency to rebel and instead release control back to our Creator. May we boast in the Lord and receive the inherent blessings of being connected to the One who has the master plan and offers us rest and strength in Him. 

And, as we ask for grace to adopt an eternal perspective, may we proudly declare with every part of our souls: “All to Thee my blessed Savior – I surrender all.”   

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Kristin Gyimah is married to the love of her life (Kofi), is a mother of three (including twins!), and is the founder of Live UNMUZZLED. She serves faithfully in local ministry in Houston, Texas.