Why should scripture verses on surrender be important to you?
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Whether you have been a Christ follower for five days or fifty years, living a life in full surrender to Christ is a daily, sometimes moment by moment, intentional choice. If we’re being honest, walking faithfully surrendered to God’s will for our lives is more than an intentional choice…it is an all out STRUGGLE for us human beings. We are tangled up in our sinful nature and often times, we get a little too big for our britches and we dare to think that we know better than our Lord. Or, we sometimes act contrary to what we know in our hearts is wrong because plain and simple, we just want what we want…when we want it! Right?
Sounds a lot like raising toddlers (or middle schoolers) doesn’t it?
We are in a constant tug-o-war…back and forth…grappling for CONTROL! You had to know that pesky word was going to come up!
CONTROL.
Some might readily own up to the fact that the idea of having control is what makes their clock tick…while others will vehemently deny that they are control freaks (however, talk to anyone that knows them and they might need to have a come to Jesus moment because they might be looking at their hearts through rose colored glasses.)
Either way, as humans, we all like (or love) control to some degree.
We also have these internal thoughts/feelings/desires/temptations that lie just beneath the surface, waiting to be birthed into the world and acted upon.
Some may be biblically sound and God honoring…others may lead us far away from God’s best for our lives.
This is why God gave us His Word to live by. Scripture is God’s love letter to us that not only teaches us about the whys, whats, whens and hows but first and foremost, he gives us the WHO in his Son, Jesus. The WORD who became flesh.
Why Our Sinful Nature Makes Surrendering a Challenge
God knew that we could not be left to live and love on our own. Look what happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Things didn’t start off so well there, did they? But, when sin was birthed into the world…it didn’t end there. We continued to be fall short throughout scripture and today, we are no different than the human beings that walked with Jesus 2000 years ago.
-We are full of SIN
-We are selfish
-We have tunnel vision and cannot see what God can see
-We think a lot of ourselves even though we have limited knowledge and cannot possibly know what God knows
-Our choices are oftentimes shortsighted
-We fall into temptation
-We like immediate gratification; the feeling of temporary gain, even at the expense of long term reward
-We dislike discomfort. We try to side step pain and detour around the hard.
-We like our own agendas. We try to avoid interruptions or “ignore” inconveniences
-We are inpatient people that live in a world with a “right now” mentality.
-We doubt God when we do not understand
-We question God when life is not lining up the way we hoped it would
We Place Conditions On Our Surrender to God
As Christians, I think we pride ourselves on saying we are living a surrendered life. However, it seems like a no brainer when things are going well and life is easy. But, what happens when life misbehaves and things are NOT going according to our plan or when things hurt and we don’t understand what God is doing or why?
We find ourselves “bargaining” with God in exchange for a glimpse into the future; a peek around the bend. If I’m honest, I’ve had conversations with God that sounded something like, “God, IF YOU will do “x” THEN I WILL do “y.” We place condition after condition on God and our willingness to surrender. Even though I know this is not how God works, I still fall back into the trap.
How Can We Train Our Spirits for Surrendering to God’s Will
One thing I have found helpful is digging into Scripture and finding out what God says about surrender and how to apply it to my everyday life and ever- changing circumstances.
Related Post: Training Your Spiritual Muscle for a Faith Filled New Year
These powerful scripture verses on surrender are reminders of who God says that He is and why we can fully trust His character and His faithfulness. As long as I am on this Earth, living a life in full surrender to Christ will always be something I struggle with and need to constantly seek guidance and correction on. I pray these bible verses will be as helpful for you as they were for me, as we wrestle with living a life in full surrender to the Lord and His will for our lives.
22 Powerful Scripture Verses on Surrender
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” John 5:30, NIV
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22, NIV
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20, NIV
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7, ESV
“Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” Jeremiah 10:23, NIV
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33, NIV
“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39, ESV
“and call upon me in the day of trouble;I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15, ESV
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, NIV
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” Luke 9:23-24, NIV
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:1-7, NIV
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8, NIV
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6, NIV
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35, NIV
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2, NIV
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10, NIV)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1, NIV
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23, ESV
“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs 23:26, ESV
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:6-10, ESV
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV
I pray these scripture verses on surrender will be a blessing to you and your spirit. Surrendering to the Lord and his plan for your life happens in a million little moments throughout the day.
-Read these convicting scripture verses on surrender
-Meditate on these verses
-Journal on God’s word
-Carry these verses around with you
-Hide these powerful scripture verses on surrender in your heart
Remember, surrender is a lifetime process. Stay encouraged my friend!
We are all on this journey with Jesus together!
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