“There is an essential difference between submission and surrender. The former is the conscious acceptance of reality. There is a superficial yielding, but tension continues… It is halfhearted acceptance. It is described by words such as resignation, compliance, acknowledgement, concession. There remains a feeling of reservation, a tug in the direction of non-acceptance.

“Surrender, on the other hand, is the moment when my forces of resistance cease to function, when I cannot help but respond to the call of the Spirit. The ability to surrender is a gift of God. However eagerly we may desire it, however diligently we may strive to acquire it, surrender cannot be attained by personal endeavor.” [The Importance Of Being Foolish, Brennan Manning]

Put another way, when we submit, we “give in,” keeping the focus on ourselves. When we surrender, we “give over,” putting the focus on God where it belongs. Jesus decided to go beyond submission to the reality He was facing. He surrendered fully to the Father. He put everything into His hands.

Ever wonder if you could ever fully surrender and let God have His way. Sometimes we sing about it: “I surrender all.”  And it is easy to surrender my all in a church service. It’s when Monday comes, or when we get the phone call, or someone gets the job after we went through 4 interviews, or when they say, “We need to do some more tests.”

Ready to be identified with Christ? “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 TLB

#identifiedwithChrist