“Submit yourselves therefore to God…” (James 4:7a NIV)

“All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.  I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all…” (I Surrender All by Jusdson W. VanDeVenter in1896)

Submit means to yield to another person’s power and authority.  Surrender means to give up control or resistance to an outside force.  Our mind set to submit is an active choice, while surrender is resignation or ultimate trust.  In the Bible these 2 words are often used interchangeably and everyday context.

Things that we need to surrender to God.  When you surrender your fear to God, it means you transfer the weight of your fears from your mind onto His shoulders, thus fear no longer controls you. When you surrender your anxiety to God, it means you give up control of it ruling you.  When you surrender past mistakes to God, it means you actively choose to accept God’s forgiveness and forgive yourself as well.  When you surrender your pride to God, you realize you are NOT better than God.  When you surrender your self-reliance to God, you learn to humble yourself to rely on God’s strength and wisdom.  When you surrender your weaknesses to God, you allow God’s strength to lift you up and make you strong.  When you surrender hurt and resentment to God, it means you release your bitterness choosing to leave justice and healing in God’s hands.

Surrendering to God helps us move forward by shifting the burden of control from our limited human strength to His unlimited power.  It is not about giving up, it is about releasing our pain and heartache into God’s care.

By surrendering our ways to God it brings about a profound emotional shift, moving us from a state of internal friction to emotional stability.  When we stop fighting for control, our emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being changes. We learn to let go and let God.  God Bless. Amen.

denise