What Does Surrender Look Like

When we surrender we become like clay in God's hands.Allowing God's grace to mold us means putting our lives into His hands and saying,"Do with me as you will".This requires malleability and the willingness to accept that we may not be permitted to accomplish everything we set out to do.We may be unable to use our gifts the way we want to use them.It means allowing the potter to reshape us without our arguing.
A picture of surrendered life can be seen in Blaise Paschal.In 1659 Paschal began writing an apology for the Christian faith that he planted to spend the next ten years completing.After beginning his project,Paschal contracted a severe illness,and he was never able to develop the work as he had originally envisioned.

Rather than wrestling with God and rebelling at His unexplainable will,Paschal surrendered to the course his life had taken.He spent his last days passing out blankets and food to the poor.When he died he left behind his "Thoughts",the undeveloped beginning of his lifework.Today his well-known writings,entitled the Pensees continues to be studied and taught by theologians and philosophers.Paschal had seen the course God set before him and humbly followed it,leaving the consequences with God.God did use him greatly,not in the way he supposed.His surrender is an example to us.When he humbled himself,God lifted him to minister to the ages.

Above all other examples is Jesus Himself.He surrendered to the will of His Father throughout His earthly ministry.He told His disciples,"the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me."(John 14:31 NIV).The way of surrender lead Him to His knees.He knew that the Cross awaited Him when He knelt to pray.But listen to His prayer:"Father,if you are willing take this cup of suffering away from me.Yet I want your Will to be done, not mine"(Luke 22:42).Then an angel appeared and strengthened Him.But Jesus,still in anguish,prayed even more earnestly,and His sweat fell like drops of blood to the ground.

Surrender is scary before we do it-even when we're surrendering to Jesus-but the rewards to ourselves and to others are immeasurable.Surrender does not come without pain or struggle.But it is worth it.Hebrews 12:2-3(NIV) says:Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith,who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men,so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.