No one wants to give up. Books have been written about not giving up. Movies have been made celebrating the human strength. Songs, like Never Surrender, by Corey Hart, tell us to not back down.

The world thinks surrender is giving up. I know it as getting up.

Surrender is not a sign of weakness but it is a measure of strength. Jesus came to give us life in the fullest (John 10:10). To get this, we have to surrender our will to His will. This takes guts. But if you really want to live, it is such a necessary and rewarding thing to do.

A surrendered life is a life lived.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show which path to take.”

This means you have to surrender your understanding, your will, to God’s understanding and God’s will. Ultimately, there are two ways to go in life. Just two. Your way or God’s way. Your way might be okay sometimes but God’s way is way better.

If you want God’s way; you need to surrender.

This is not a sign of weakness but of revelation and response. Moses, Jonah, David, Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul, and even Jesus had moments of surrender. And their lives, and our lives, changed forever because of them.

For me the best model of surrender is the Lord’s prayer. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven is a remarkable statement of belief and surrender. Later Jesus would echo this sentiment. On the night before he was to be sacrificed, he prayed to God to remove the burden of our sins being taken up by him at the cross. Yet, he ends this prayer with not my will be done, but your will be done (Luke 22:42).

Even Jesus, who is the Word, surrendered. There is no one tougher or stronger than Jesus. No one. He was strengthened through surrender.

Peter experienced surrender differently. Remember after he denied Christ three times and then Jesus looked at him! He was overwhelmed with grief. That moment changed his life. His pride was crushed and a new Peter was born.

A moment of surrender is like that. Overwhelming and life changing.

We surrendered our ministries to God and here is how he takes care of them.

Soup from an empty pot at Lighthouse that fed everyone (about 80 people) and then had 12 cups left over for another church to feed a hungry family.

Bread that never ends. We never run out. We always have just enough. Talk about daily bread!

Food that just shows up. Stella, my wife, leads a Kokum (Indigenous grandmothers) group and provides them lunch. My cooking is terrifying and so when she broke her arm, it would have been some sad Kokums sitting around staring at my burnt offerings. People made and dropped off food to save them.

Our needs are met by God daily. Folks, this is not prosperity gospel. This is living a surrendered life. God gives us the resources we need to serve him. Always. If we don’t get it, then we ask God what’s next. Remember, it’s his will that is to be done. And we don’t have to worry.

We are turning our garage into a gathering place. That takes money. People gave us money to start the process. A local church is helping with the project. These things are God blessing his ministries. And us with love, fellowship, and fruit.

What does a surrendered life look like?

A surrendered life means starting each day asking God what he wants. Then listening and following.

It means praying and serving when you’re tired. It’s not always as easy as it sounds.

It means walking with hurting broken people. Sometimes this is interesting. All the time it is wonderful.

It means peace, love, and joy even when storms hit and the freezers are empty. Even when you don’t have what it takes to help, it means God provides. He has never let us down.

It means looking to Jesus and not at the circumstances.

A surrendered life is a lived life. Just ask Peter. Ask Jesus. Look what happened when they surrendered their will to God’s will.

It is life in the fullest. We have never been more full.

Our surrendered life is like saying: “God, the answer is yes. What’s the question?” (From We Will Ride by Lindell Cooley)

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Andy Becker is a retired counsellor and author of The Travelers, a fictionalized account of spiritual warfare (available on Amazon) as is, Stupid Thyroid, a book he co-wrote with his wife, Stella. Andy and his wife, Stella, lead Lighthouse Ministry in North Central Regina, one of Canada’s poorest and roughest areas. He is a retired counselor, speaker, and writer. Andy Becker is working on his second book about spiritual warfare. His first book, The Travelers, is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.