Complete Surrender - God's condition for Full Blessing

DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE FULL BLESSING THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR YOU? Our heavenly Father offers no "second best"; everything from His hand is first-rate. But all too often, we are willing to settle for far less than what He desires to give. That is why a large number of believers are not content with their Christian life. They struggle over circumstances and complain that the Lord doesn't answer their prayers, meet their needs, or provide their heart's desire. But they never stop to ask, Why am I not experiencing the blessings of God's favor?

There is a reason. In order to experience the full blessing of everything that God has planned for us, we must meet one condition: full surrender.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges us to present our bodies a "living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God." Many people enjoy talking about divine love, goodness, and mercy but feel threatened by words like "sacrifice," "surrender," and "yield," which imply somebody is about to control their life. We all value our freedom?we don't want anyone dominating us or telling us how to go about our business. However, very few people recognize that the life fully surrendered to almighty God is the freest life of all.

Let's understand what is meant by "sacrifice." In the Old Testament, people would present livestock or agricultural offerings to the Lord as an act of worship. These gifts were offered up, or surrendered, by the giver. In a similar way, Paul directs believers to present their bodies to God as a living sacrifice. (v. 1) He is talking not simply about the physical being, but about the yielding of body, soul, and spirit to the Lord for His purposes. In other words, it is appropriate for followers of Jesus Christ to live in such a way that their life is a sacrificial offering to God.

For that to happen, one's lifestyle must change. (v. 2) The apostle is telling Christians to stop allowing themselves to be poured into the culture's mold of how to think and act. Instead, we should refuse to let the world draw us away from our commitment to Jesus Christ. Since the Lord saved us and made us new creations (Acts 4:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17), the "natural" way of doing things simply does not fit who we are.

When we fully surrender to our Creator and reject being shaped according to the world's liking, God's blessings will come our way. That does not mean situations will necessarily turn out exactly as we hope?sometimes what we strongly desire is not good for us in the long run. But when we are completely yielded, we can be assured of blessings that God in His infinite wisdom, goodness, and love knows are best for us.

You might ask, "What right does God have to require my full commitment and surrender?" First of all, Psalm 103:19 says, "The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all." As the sovereign ruler of this universe, God is entitled to control our life. Secondly, He created all things (Colossians 1:16), and He sustains us daily?He is the one who keeps our heart beating. Our Creator certainly has the authority to determine how we live and what is best for us. Thirdly, He has a right as our Savior and owner (Titus 2:14) because He purchased us at Calvary with His shed blood. That is to say, He has the deed to our life.

The tragedy is that many people who have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior fail to understand His Lordship. The word "Lord" is used casually in song and conversation, but far too few Christians live out its meaning: He has absolute authority, ownership, and control of His followers' lives. As Scripture says, "Do you not know that . . . you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

As our owner, the Lord has the right to demand that you and I walk in obedience to Him. We are, then, to live a life totally yielded to Him because of who He is. Another reason for full surrender is that God has planned the very best for His children and stores up goodness for us. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 31:19) He is looking out for every single believer, desiring to provide abundant blessings. The proof is that God did not withhold the best He had?His only begotten Son?but rather gave Him up for our sake. (Romans 8:31-32)

Are you dissatisfied with your Christian life and sensing that your relationship with the Lord lacks intimacy? This is an indication that God is calling for your full surrender. Giving complete control to Him, trusting in the Holy Spirit's power, and waiting to see what God will do in your life reveals wisdom and courage to take healthy spiritual "risks"; it is in no way a sign of weakness.

Most people are afraid to venture anything in life. They prefer to remain secure and comfortable. But to obey the living God necessitates stepping out in faith. Some of the challenges He gives us may not be to our liking, but obedience always carries a benefit. That is how the Lord matures us. In reality, taking a "risk" with the Lord is to be in the grip of the sovereign, omnipotent ruler of the universe?He will not allow anything to happen that is not in our best interest, so the trusting believer simply cannot lose!

GOD'S PURPOSES FOR OUR SURRENDER

Our Father wants us fully surrendered to Him, first of all because He loves our worship. He is a jealous God who longs for us to adore Him and Him alone. But all the praying, singing, and Scripture reading we can do will not amount to genuine worship if we hold back portions of our life from Him. Perhaps these off-limits areas include a habit, relationship, job, or activity we want to continue. Or, they might involve wrong attitudes we choose to prolong, like resentment, anger, and vengeance. Withholding portions of ourselves amounts to a lack of trust, and we cannot genuinely worship a God we do not trust.

A second reason God wants our lives totally yielded is so that our service to Him will be effective and fruitful. The Lord wants our lives to count, so He desires service with a powerful impact. Yet so many believers insist on doing things as they see fit instead of deferring to God's directions and letting Him run ministries His way.

There's no question that people can serve the Lord without being fully surrendered. Their work may even produce some degree of benefit, but the impact will be less significant and the blessing of smaller measure. It is like planting two acres of orange trees when you could plant a thousand acres. Why give God a fraction of your life when He requires it all for His fullest blessing?

A third purpose of our surrender is God's desire for the freedom to bless us. While it is true that He is omnipotent, He also has principles by which He governs, and He would never violate any of His own rules. One such principle is that obedience brings blessing. Another is that we reap what we sow, more than we sow, later than we sow.

So if yielding our total being to God results in genuine worship, effective service, and unrestricted blessing, why would we in any way hold back and protest God's desire for absolute control of our life? Fear is the primary reason we withdraw from the idea of surrender. Many people are afraid of what God will require of them. But what a strange attitude to have about the God of goodness and love! He is not some judgmental deity sitting on His throne, waiting to inflict harsh circumstances upon His children. However, when the Lord challenges us about yielding to Him, Satan will inject negative "what ifs" into our thinking to frighten us.

Another hindrance to surrender is selfishness. We do not want God or anyone else dictating the way to run our life. The implication is that we know better than the Lord how to manage our affairs, but that idea is erroneous. Why would we not surrender our life completely to a God who has our best interest in mind?who has planned the best for us, who has forgiven us of our sins, who loves us unconditionally, who will take us home to heaven and spend all eternity with us? Living a life that is not totally surrendered doesn't fit the child of God any more than wearing a jacket six sizes too large. It is totally out of line with who we are. We are God's purchased sons and daughters, and He has every right to our life.

What is involved in making a full surrender? It is the definite, deliberate, voluntary transfer of undivided possession, control, and use of our entire being to the rightful owner: Jesus Christ. It is like saying, "God, here is my life. Until now, I have had it my way, but from this point on, it's Your call. Whatever You want, that's what I will do. I will trust You and obey, regardless of my own preferences." That means no reservations, no bargaining.

Is that difficult? Yes, it is. But is it worth it? Absolutely! Because God assumes total responsibility for the life fully surrendered to him. So stop clutching onto pennies; open your hands in surrender so that you can receive the vast treasure of blessings God wants to pour into your life.