Discovering God's WillSample

A Surrender, Not a Self

Music icon Bono, the lead singer of the legendary Irish band U2, is known for his musical success, voice for justice, and deep spirituality.

Recently, he said, “I’m getting to the place where I do not have to do, but just be. It’s trying to transcend myself. It’s like my antidote to me. The antidote to me is surrender.”

In a self-absorbed, self-centered, and selfie culture, maybe we could all use a dose of this antidote.

Surrender is a key to understanding God’s will. Jesus modeled this kind of surrender to the will of His Father. He demonstrated it in John 5:30 when He said, “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”

He was willing to surrender to the Father’s will even when it was painful. There is no more powerful image than that from the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was left alone in agony, sweating great drops like blood, about to face the cruelty of the Cross—but His prayer was one of surrender: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39)

Letting go of our will to embrace God’s will can sometimes be difficult, even painful. But surrender to God’s will is the starting point for knowing and walking in humility, grace, and purpose.

And this is not something for only a spiritually elite class of men. This is for you and me, ordinary men living with extraordinary surrender every day, surrendering our wills, thoughts, motives, affections, and plans to the Master.

William Booth, the founder of the great movement of the Salvation Army, said, “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”

If we want to be great men, let it be found in the proportion of our surrender.

Prayer: Lord, I surrender to Your will and Your ways. Please help me to follow You today and live a surrendered life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Are there areas of your life that are not fully surrendered to Christ? Ask the Lord to reveal those areas and surrender those things to Him today.