I Surrender All
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20
In worship service last Sunday we sang the hymn, “I Surrender All.” The compelling lyrics caused me to ask myself, “Have you really surrendered all to the Lord”? The line, “worldly pleasures all forsaken,” really caught my attention. Do I sometimes choose a worldly pleasure over a Godly calling?
Surrender to the Lord is usually a one-time condition of the heart, but a daily surrender is necessary to control the flesh. I pray every evening that the Lord will help me to truly surrender according to his understanding, and every morning I pray for his help to surrender the day. The more I surrender to his will, the more freedom I have in Christ. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) When we are free in Christ we are free from bondage to the world.
If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15) The more we obey the Lord’s commands the more we can surrender our flesh. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father because he had perfect love for the Father. Our imperfection prevents us from loving the Father perfectly. Likewise, we cannot perfectly obey the Lord’s commands even when our hearts desire is to be obedient. This is why we must surrender to the Lord’s will every day.
The best motivation for surrendering is the realization that we were created to serve the Lord, knowing he is our master. We pray and he takes the responsibility, and our part is to be guided by the Spirit. When we trust the Lord to this level, it is much easier to remain surrendered. In this way, we are experiencing peace, joy, and rest for our souls since worry and fear have virtually disappeared. These feelings are comforting and actually increase our trust in the Lord. They help us to fight off Satan, and when he attacks us with fear, worry, anger, etc., we fight for our freedom in Christ.
When we truly follow the Spirit we will minister to lost souls because the Lord’s love flows through us to the people to whom we minister. Thus, the Lord’s love increases in our hearts and we become more obedient. Serving the Lord and fighting for our freedom in Christ helps us to surrender. If we could perfectly surrender to the Lord, we would be perfectly free in Christ.
Today, seek the faith to surrender knowing Christ will set you free from the world. Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4) Walk in the Spirit so you can overcome the sins of the flesh, because Satan will use fleshly desires to lure us away from God.
Let’s Pray: Lord, teach me to truly surrender according to your will. Give me the strength through the Spirit to control my fleshly sinful desires, and replace them with a serving heart. Thank you for your desire to help me overcome my doubting nature, because it’s only through your power and love that I can have victory in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.