I Surrender

Can you give it all up for God?

Have you ever had to give something up that you LOVED so dearly, you thought you couldn’t live without it?

At a very young age, all I wanted to be was a soccer player. I lived, ate, and breathed soccer. All the Messi edits, all the Barça games, I grew up watching them just wanting to chase that adrenaline and joy on a field.

But as you can imagine, if you know me, I come from a very talented family where everyone is a musician. My mom and sister sing, my brother plays guitar and drums, and my dad can play any instrument on earth he can get his hands on.

So, little by little, my parents kept trying to convince me to give soccer up for music. They suggested it was me giving something up for something better.

So, I’m a drummer now.

But still, after falling in love with music, I got obsessed with creating. I went as far as writing music for my friends, playing in a band, making music on my own, etc. But still, I felt as though God was telling me to “Surrender that", I have something better.”

Music was and still is such a big part of my life. But still, a certain drive and love for music had to be held back for God to make room for bigger and better things he wanted to add to my life.

2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

God’s promises over my life have yet to pass, but they’ve been more present as my obedience, trust, faith, and hope have been more rooted in him.

But what is very hard is to surrender things to God when HE is the one who gave us an answered prayer, a blessing, a promised being fulfilled, whatever it may be.

Though it could’ve been a promise from God himself, when do you ask yourself,

“Am I believing more in a promise than in my obedience to God?”

Abraham felt the same way.

God had two promises for Abraham, one initial one and one more direct.

The Initial promise: Genesis 12:2-3 ESV says, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

The Direct promise: Genesis 17:19 ESV says, “God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.”

But only now did God ask for a sacrifice.

The Sacrifice: Genesis 22:2 ESV says, “He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Abraham, still, in his obedience, was still willing to sacrifice his only son, his PROMISED son, from God, and still offer him as a burnt offering to the lord out of OBEDIENCE.

Abraham was tested. On his trust and willingness to give up his son, to submit to God’s will, and letting go of his own plans, to see that God provides even in the most challenging situations.

“What’s the one thing you’re still withholding from giving it to God?”

What if the one thing you're still debating about letting go, and can’t seem to get rid of, putting all your time and effort into trying to hold onto something, is preventing God from giving you something better and a bigger blessing, even with the current one you have right now?

I have had to surrender a lot of things, even now, whether that would be my future, my relationships, my own plans, my own way of thinking, to see that God always has something better for me, even when it’s been things that I’m 100% certain God has given to me. But he cares more about us surrendering everything to him, our lives, our plans, the things we hold so dear and love, so it shifts our attention and love to him.

“Can you be obedient and surrender it all, knowing God is enough?”

Our sacrifices and obedience to God are never easy. We are always so quick to think we can when a moment comes to really test us to see if something has taken the pedestal of our lives. Our devotion to something other than God can easily make us disobedient, unaware, and easily blinded by the distractions it brings, only to push us further away from God’s hand and blessings over our lives.

Things we can do and learn when we offer our full sacrifice and full surrender:

• Acknowledging God’s authority: Surrender starts with acknowledging that God is the Creator and Lord of everything, and submitting to His plans and purposes.

Romans 13:1 ESV says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

• Submitting to His will: This involves letting go of your own will, desires, and ambitions to follow God’s perfect plan.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

• Trusting in His wisdom: Place your trust in God’s wisdom and goodness, recognizing that you do not have to lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

• Denying yourself: Being obedient to surrendering to God also involves denying oneself, carrying your cross every day, and resisting worldly conformity, instead being renewed by a transformed mind.

Luke 9:23 ESV says, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

• Casting your anxieties on Him: You are encouraged to cast all your anxieties on God because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 ESV says, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

• Present your body as a sacrifice: The apostle Paul urges believers to offer their entire selves to God as a means of righteousness, an idea known as a “living sacrifice”, as its to help us discern God’s will for us.

Romans 12:1 ESV says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^”

• Seek strength in Him: True surrender is not a sign of weakness, but a way to embrace God’s strength, as His power is made perfect in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV says, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Everything we do on our part, with our sacrifices and surrendering to God, only brings us to trust and yield to God’s word, self-denial, and committing ourselves to God’s will, our humility, and full submission to God’s authority.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV says, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Do not fear for what God is trying to do in you. We might not understand the reasons for our sacrifices and for surrendering everything to God, but the season and fruit will come to bear and prune something even better.

Believe God knows what is best for us.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV says, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

thank you all for tuning in, hope this helps as a reminder, refresher, and challenges you. yours truly.