What does it mean to Surrender to God and what good would it do me?
What does it mean to Surrender?
The basic straight-forward answer is surrender to God means recognising that the Holy Spirit lives in you (1 Corinthians 6:19), accepting Jesus’ full lordship over every single part of your life (Romans 10:9), choosing only God’s will over your own (Joshua 24:15), and giving Him full access to your burdens, your gifts and talents, sins, and decisions (1 Peter 5:7). Surrender shows itself through obedience to God’s Word (James 4:17), living in obedient repentance and trusting His forgiveness (1 John 1:9), walking by faith even when you can’t see the outcome (Hebrews 11:1), staying aware of His presence daily, and laying down your plans to follow His far greater plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11).
Do I need to Surrender?
Well, the short answer is that it won’t do any good for someone who doesn’t think anything is wrong and everything in life is going just fine and dandy. I suppose if you have no pressing issues in any area of your life, then I guess it’s quite redundant in fact. You don’t need surrender you already have everything under complete control and you don’t see any trouble on the horizon. You have it all figured out. I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone who is remotely like that. That person would have to be totally perfect, just like Jesus, right?
Well, maybe…
Let’s not forget Jesus, as well as being fully God, was also born fully a man of flesh and bone, with the same feelings — both physical and emotional — that every man and woman possesses from birth. And yes, even Jesus, who was the only fully perfect man to walk this planet, had to surrender to His Fathers will for His life. He did so every single day, doing nothing for Himself but only what the Father would have Him do. We can see evidence for this all throughout the gospel accounts of His life, being both fully God and a flesh-and-bone man.
C.S. Lewis said:
“The proper good of a creature is to surrender itself to its Creator — to enact intellectually, volitionally, and emotionally, that relationship which is given in the mere fact of its being a creature. When it does so, it is good and happy.”
We all long for happiness and contentment. It’s all good to strive to reach goals and succeed. But what is there to gain after all that fight and struggle, only to see that the reward wasn’t all you hoped it would be? What then?
On the other hand, if you’re anything like me, most plans that seemed like a good idea at the time eventually go belly-up and things remain unfinished that were started with such great vigour even encouragement from others. This can be quite embarrassing and soul-crushing. I mean, what’s the point in even trying?
When we surrender, we are effectively putting down our own will and allowing God to work in us to provide a future much greater than anything we could have ever dreamt possible for ourselves. Look at the story of Joseph, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, taken to Egypt, falsely accused, and thrown in prison. God raised him up to become second in command in Egypt after he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. He later saved his family from famine and forgave his brothers, showing God’s plan was at work the whole time. (Gen 37-50)
God had previously shown Jospeh in a dream that God would raise him up, (Gen 37:5-11) Never did Jospeh expect that any of that would happen in order to get him there.
Joseph’s life shows a guy who kept surrendering to God’s will all the way through, even when nothing made sense.
1. He trusted God in suffering
Sold as a slave, falsely accused, thrown in prison no bitterness, no rebellion.
He kept honouring God anyway (Genesis 39).
2. He let God shape his character
He didn’t force his own way. He waited.
Years in prison, forgotten by people but not by God (Genesis 40).
3. He gave God the credit
When Pharaoh asked him to interpret the dream, Joseph said:
“I cannot do it…but God will.”
(Genesis 41:16)
That’s surrender right there.
4. He forgave instead of taking revenge
When he finally had power, he didn’t punish his brothers.
He said:
“You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
(Genesis 50:20)
That’s someone who trusts God’s plan over his own emotions.
So did he fully surrender?
As much as a human can, yes.
Joseph lived with a constant attitude of: “God is in control, not me.”
His whole story is one long picture of handing everything pain, success, authority, emotion back to God’s purpose.
God has a plan for our lives, and surrendering to Him means we set aside our own plans and eagerly seek His. The good news is that God’s plan for us is always in our best interest (Jeremiah 29:11), unlike our own plans that often lead to destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Our Lord is a wise and generous conqueror; He conquers us to bless us.
But I just suffer anxiety! (How’s it supposed to help me?)
For the sake of time, let’s pretend you have not yet discovered how much God truly loves you and wishes to have you back in His arms. Here’s just a few medical psychological positives if you want to look at it from a holistic angle — but of course feel free to dive in online, there’s quite a lot of endorsement for the practice.
Scientific Support for Surrendering and Anxiety
Prayer reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and increases emotional resilience
(Studies published in Journal of Behavioral Medicine)
Regular spiritual practice (prayer, Scripture meditation, worship) is linked with:
• Lower anxiety
• Better life satisfaction
• Stronger sense of purpose
(Pew Research, Harvard School of Public Health)
Scientific Support
Quiet sitting / mindfulness-style stillness reduces activation in the amygdala (the fear/stress centre). Harvard Medical School has multiple studies showing that simple stillness lowers cortisol and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and settle” mode).
Even 10 minutes of quiet reflection has been proven to reduce heart rate and mental overload compared to passive screen use.
How do you Surrender?
Glad you asked!
It’s probably been done before somewhere else, but here’s an anagram to make it all a little easier to follow. It’s called “YIELD.”
YIELD
Y – Yield your will to Jesus as Lord.
I – Invite the Holy Spirit to rule every part of your life (1 Corinthians 6:19).
E – Entrust your burdens, gifts, sins, and plans to Him (1 Peter 5:7).
L – Live in obedience and repentance (James 4:17; 1 John 1:9).
D – Depend on Him in faith, not on what you can see (Hebrews 11:1).
But if you want a more in-depth dive, I’ve listed 11 of the main ways God calls us to surrender:
1. Recognising Who the Holy Spirit Is
Surrender begins with knowing the Holy Spirit lives in you as a Person, not a force (1 Corinthians 6:19). You acknowledge His constant presence and treat Him as Lord within you.
2. Accepting Jesus’ Full Lordship
Surrender means Jesus has dominion over every part of your life — thoughts, actions, relationships, work, money, habits, gifts, wounds, and sins (Romans 10:9; Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
3. Choosing God Over Self
At the age of moral understanding, you choose whether to follow your own desires or God’s will (Joshua 24:15; Jeremiah 29:13).
4. Giving God Access, Not Just Problems
Real surrender is letting God take ownership of everything — burdens, blessings, talents, relationships, and impossible situations (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:28–30).
5. Obedience to His Word
Surrender is obeying God’s commands and turning away from sin. You stop doing what you know is wrong and start doing what you know is right (James 4:17).
6. Living in Repentance
You confess sin quickly and stay soft-hearted, trusting Christ’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 7:10).
7. Walking in Faith
You trust God even when you can’t see the outcome, stepping forward because He has spoken — like Joseph did through every hardship (Hebrews 11:1; Genesis 37–50).
8. Staying Aware of His Presence Daily
You slow down, talk with Him, and remember He is with you in every situation — loss, fear, finances, health, relationships.
9. Letting Him Shape Your Life
As you surrender more, the Spirit produces His character, power, and transformation in you (Galatians 5:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 5:18).
10. Trusting His Plan Over Yours
You lay down your own plans and trust His, knowing His way is always for your good (Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 14:12).
11. Generosity and Willingness to Give
Surrender includes opening your finances and resources to His leading, trusting He will provide (2 Corinthians 9:6–11).
I really hope this has been of some help to you.
Surrender to Christ is the cornerstone of my coaching. If you’d like to find out more or just want to chat about improving your relationship with Jesus, please contact me any time — that’s what I’m here for!
Big Thanks the Sources and References for this Study:
NIV Bible
Got Questions
https://www.gotquestions.org/surrender-to-God.html
Ascension Presents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aabwei87sQM&t=51s
David Diga Hernandez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMjgRrX9J9A&t=420s
