Surrender…What does it look like?
Is it just in something we do in the midst of the battle when we raise a white flag in order to stop the fighting and give our selves over to the other side? Or is it more?
My answer…It is this and so much more.
Let’s use the above illustration to see what surrender is for us today who are not in the midst of a physical battle where white flags are being used. Our flesh is in control of our lives from the moment we are born. When Christ invades our lives and begins to convict us, our spiritual lives become a battle ground. We (our flesh) begin to fight God on what we are going to allow him to have control of. Many times, we (especially me) have a tendency to keep a small area that we consider precious and fell like we can control. We can’t do it though. So God continues to convict us and put others in our lives to call us out on these areas until we are willing to raise the white flag of surrender and allow God to have control of that area. Our problem then becomes continued surrender Our flesh has a way of wanting to re-take control of areas and we have to choose to raise the white flag again and re-surrender these areas. This occurs on a daily basis. It’s the song “White Flag” lived out on a daily basis.
But once the white flag is raised, there is a peace that you do not have to control that area, but Someone bigger and stronger has control of it and you do not have to worry about it. This was a lesson that God was teaching me this summer when I was working camp. Throughout the summer, my grandfather went into the hospital multiple times. I could not do anything about it, but I thought it was my responsibility to worry about him and stress about a way to do something. God would simply remind me that my grandfather is His. When I would stop my worrying and hand my grandfather over to Him or raise the white flag for this area, God would take over and I would end up getting a call or a text letting me know that my grandfather was doing better and would be getting out of the hospital. This happened on more than one occasion. Sometimes it takes me a while to learn a lesson. But it got easier each time to raise the white flag and give my grandfather over to God. And each time I trusted God enough to surrender this control, He blessed me beyond what I could ever imagine. He gave me peace that passes understanding, and that my friends is worth surrendering all!
