1/1/2026

The Foundation of Surrender

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Welcome to 31 Days of Surrender

This month, we're embarking on a transformative journey into what it means to truly surrender our lives to Christ. Surrender isn't a one-time decision but a daily posture, a continuous offering of every area of our lives to His lordship. Over these 31 days, we'll explore biblical examples of surrender—from Abraham's altar to Mary's yes, from Peter's nets to Paul's conversion. We'll discover that surrender isn't loss but gain, not restriction but freedom, not death but the pathway to abundant life. Each day will invite you deeper into the beautiful paradox at the heart of Christianity: we find our lives by losing them, we gain everything by releasing everything, and we become most fully ourselves when we belong completely to Christ.

Paul's plea to the Romans contains one of Scripture's most comprehensive calls to surrender: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Notice the paradox—a living sacrifice. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices that died on the altar, we are called to live on it.

Surrender begins with understanding what we're giving up and what we're gaining. The world's pattern promises fulfillment through control, accumulation, and self-determination. But transformation comes through surrender, through offering ourselves completely to God's will and way.

The Greek word for "present" (paristēmi) means to place at someone's disposal, to stand beside and serve. It's not a one-time event but a continuous posture. Each morning, we climb back onto the altar, saying again, "Not my will, but Yours."

This surrender is "reasonable" or "logical" worship. When we truly grasp the mercies of God—His undeserved grace, His patient love, His sacrifice of Jesus—the only rational response is complete surrender. Holding back would be the irrational choice.

What does this look like practically? It means your schedule belongs to Him. Your resources are His to direct. Your relationships exist under His lordship. Your dreams, fears, and secret ambitions—all are laid before Him. This isn't a restriction; it's liberation. When we surrender control, we discover we were never truly in control anyway, and God's plans are infinitely better than our grasping.

As you begin this month, ask yourself: What am I still clutching in my closed fists? What areas of life have I marked "off limits" to God's lordship? True transformation begins when we open our hands and hearts completely.