The Beginning of Freedom

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” –Luke 9:23 NIV

As believers, we’re told to surrender all to God. We even sing the old hymn, “I Surrender All.” We know that to live a victorious life, we must pick up our cross daily and follow Him. But surrendering has a negative connotation. It means giving up. Surrendering involves completely abandoning our own will and taking on the thoughts, ideas, and teachings of God. Until we truly know the Lord, the idea of surrender can be scary. What are God’s intentions? Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) states them well: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The Apostle John affirms the Lord’s good intentions toward us. “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2 NIV). Rather than the end of who we are, these words sound like the beginning of who we were created to be. Surrendering to God’s will, not living out ours, conforms us to His image. From surrender comes freedom, and from freedom comes peace.