Surrender!

“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.’

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’”
Mark 8:31-38

The word surrender has a negative connotation in our competitive age. We cheer the champions like the late Sir Winston Churchill who in World War II exhorted his fellow countrymen to “never give up - never, never, never.” Our society admires such individuals who - by sheer will power and bravado - refuse to buckle under to oppression or adversity.

What if we were asked to surrender to someone who longed to bless and reward us? What if our submission brought us to someone who would lavish all his riches and provision upon us? Surrender would be overwhelmingly practical and appealing and resistance insane. Such is the case when Christ Jesus asks for the surrendered wills and hearts of men. He is our Rescuer, not our captor. Our bended knees and souls are sublime acts of trust and liberation, not weakness.

Is there a point at which you have refused to surrender to the lordship of Christ? If you are rebelling, you are fighting His love. Is that sensible or logical? Of course not. To surrender your life and your living to Christ is victory and power. Give up to Christ’s mastery; and you will never, never, never regret it.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good...” Psalm 34:8