Resigned to Circumstances or Surrendered to God?

We often hear the encouragement to surrender to God, but in practice, some people still find it hard to tell the difference between resignation and surrender. What sets them apart, and how do we fully yield ourselves to God?

The Difference Between Resignation and Surrender

Surrender is not the same as resignation. Surrender means you let go of everything that belongs to you or is under your control, while acknowledging that there is a strength and power greater than your own, namely God. Even so, you still keep fighting, accompanied by a sense of peace, and sometimes also by a feeling of relief.

Have this mind among yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be held on to, but emptied Himself and took the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. – Philippians 2:5-7

In every one of his matches, world boxing champion Muhammad Ali displayed a defensive style against his opponents’ attacks. Though showered with blow after blow, he did not give up. He waited for the right moment to strike back. When that opportunity came, one solid punch from him would bring his opponent down, and Ali would emerge the winner.

By contrast, when Ali’s opponent took blow after blow that made him stagger and lose his balance, he would raise his hands as a sign of surrender. The referee stepped in, and the match came to an end.

What Ali did was keep fighting through the onslaught, while his opponent resigned himself to the situation.

So, what does God expect from us as people of faith?

How to Surrender Completely

To understand the concept of surrender, let us look at the example of these two Bible figures.

1. Abraham: Trusting That God Knows Best

You are surely familiar with Abraham, who is called the father of all who believe. Yet Abraham is not only well known for his faith but also for the extraordinary level of surrender he had.

And He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.” – Genesis 22:2 

Besides seeming irrational and without reason, God’s command to Abraham appeared to go against His loving character: He told Abraham to kill his own son!

Abraham could have become utterly confused, stressed, and then angry with God. Had not God promised to give him descendants as numerous as the sand by the sea? How could that happen if he lost the only son he received in his old age? Yet Abraham did not argue even a little, but did exactly as God commanded. How was that possible?

What enabled Abraham to obey was that he surrendered himself completely to God. He trusted that God knew what was best for him and for his son.

What about you today? When the realities of life run contrary to your dreams and hopes, do you still trust and lean on God? Or do you begin to resign yourself, lose faith, and no longer want to keep trying?

An attitude of resignation will make you feel like a failure, frustrated, and no longer have hope. Resignation also closes the door to God’s hand helping you and showing you His best plan for your life.

Does your problem right now seem too big? When you begin to feel like giving up, remember this: just as God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, there is a beautiful plan behind all of this.

2. David: Doing Your Best, No Matter the Outcome

Then Nathan went to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s former wife had borne to David, and he became ill. So David pleaded with God for the child; he fasted earnestly, and when he went in, he lay all night on the ground. – 2 Samuel 12:15 

As a result of David’s sin in deliberately planning Uriah’s death in order to take Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-15), God told him that the child Bathsheba had borne would die.

Hearing that, David did not give up, but tried to move God’s heart and plead for His mercy. He fasted earnestly, until on the seventh day he received news that his child had died (2 Samuel 12:18).

Did David become bitter when he learned that God did not answer his plea? No. From the beginning, David had surrendered himself to God, whatever might happen. He did what he could as best he could, yet still left the outcome in God’s hands.

In the midst of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic , how do you face life’s struggles? Perhaps your business has begun to falter, your income has declined, you have lost your job, or even lost the people you love because of the pandemic.

Has this made you angry with God? Then do you choose to resign yourself, despair,  and give in to the situation? Or do you choose to respond like David, namely trusting that God’s plans are always best for His children? - Whatever you are facing right now, surrender all your hopes and struggles to God, so that you may receive His promises. Amen!

Blessed is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God. – Psalm 146:5 

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