When you hear the word “surrender” what comes to mind?
Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: “to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand; to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another; to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner; or to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence).
In many cases, to “surrender” implies giving something up. As a follower of Christ, I’ve often heard the phrase to “surrender my will” to God. Some people choose to do this voluntarily while they are alive. Others do so involuntarily when they die.
When we surrender to God, we are acknowledging that we belong to God. It is a gift we receive from God. We can’t will it for ourselves, but it does require a response from us —just like salvation and that is acceptance. But it’s not something we just accept and then do nothing with it. Any work we do will never lead us to salvation or surrender. But our work starts once we accept these gifts from God.
Another phrase I’ve heard is to “submit to God’s will.” In fact, the words “submit” and “surrender” are often used interchangeably. But there are some distinct differences between the two.
In his book, “The Importance of Being Foolish,” Brennan Manning put it this way:
"There is an essential difference between submission and surrender. The former is the conscious acceptance of reality. There is a superficial yielding, but tension continues...It is halfhearted acceptance. It is described by words such as resignation, compliance, acknowledgement, concession. There remains a feeling of reservation, a tug in the direction of non-acceptance. Surrender, on the other hand, is the moment when my forces of resistance cease to function, when I cannot help but respond to the call of the Spirit. The ability to surrender is a gift of God. However eagerly we may desire it, however diligently we may strive to acquire it, surrender cannot be attained by personal endeavor."
Submitting is something we can do and we can control. When we surrender, we make a conscious decision to let go of that control, but the actual act of surrendering is something only God can do.
Submission implies we are “giving in,” which keeps the focus on us.
Surrendering implies we are “giving up,” putting the focus on God, where it properly belongs.
The best illustration of this is Jesus. When He was here on earth, He didn’t just submit—He surrendered. His motivation? His love for us.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV