“Be crumpled so wildflowers will come up where you are. You have been stony for too many years. Try something different. Surrender.” (Rumi)
When you surrender, you yield to the power of another. Surrender sometimes requires giving up possessions or position. It is the giving of oneself to some authority, influence, course of emotion, etc. Surrender means to give up, abandon, relinquish.
Surrendering in war involves giving up rights and yielding to the conqueror. In relationships, this is akin to no longer seeking for self and instead letting another’s will take the lead.
At salvation, we surrender to God. We choose to give up our own plans for our lives and instead eagerly seek his. We also begin a journey of progressive surrender that culminates in perfection. Progressive surrender involves seeking deeper intimacy with Christ. Our old lives are gradually replaced with new ones that increasingly resemble our Savior.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
“Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)
