Awakened to Surrender
Nathan Canto | September 21, 2025
The Way of The Kingdom
As a dad of two young kids, one of my greatest responsibilities is to raise them into healthy, independent adults who will love Jesus, contribute to society, and one day build their own Christ-centered families. That’s the natural progression of life: growing in independence.
But spiritually, the call of Jesus looks very different. In Matthew 18:3-4, He says:
“Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
The way of the world pushes us toward independence. The way of the Kingdom calls us into deeper dependence on Jesus. Where our flesh craves control, the Spirit invites surrender.
The Call to Surrender
Jesus makes it clear in Luke 9:23-24:
“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.”
Here’s what we have to realize: We are actually surrendering every single day. The only question is: to what? To the world, to our own will, or to the will of the Father?
Surrender is not a side practice of Christianity. Or an optional add-on for extra holy people. It is the way of the Kingdom, modeled perfectly by Jesus Himself.
The Model of Jesus
Jesus embodied surrender. And through His surrender, He was exalted, and salvation was extended to us.
Paul captures this beautifully in Philippians 2:5–13, one of the earliest hymns of the church. Jesus, though fully God, “emptied Himself” and took the form of a servant. He clothed Himself in flesh, humbled Himself, and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. And through His surrender, God exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name.
This is the way of the Kingdom: surrender first, glory after.
Becoming Through Surrender
Here’s what we must realize: surrender is not just about what we do or don’t do, it’s about who we are becoming.
Salvation is not just a moment of decision. It is a lifelong process of surrender, as the Spirit of God invades our lives and forms us more and more into the likeness of Christ.
Who are you becoming? Because who you become will always be determined by what, or who, you surrender to.
So then, how do we live out this life of surrender? How do we open ourselves truly to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Principles of Surrender
To begin our journey of surrender, we need to understand some key foundational truths and principles. Without these, personal surrender will be difficult. Here are four core principles to help us build a life of surrender.
Trust God’s Wisdom.
Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Surrender begins by believing His wisdom is greater than ours and His plan is good.Acknowledge God’s Control.
We are finite. He is sovereign. The desire for control is often rooted in fear, but surrender frees us to rest in His authority.Embrace God’s Authority.
His Word is truth. To surrender is to let Scripture, not culture or opinion, be the foundation of our lives.Look to Eternal Reward.
Our reward is not comfort, success, or ease in this life. Our true reward is transformation in the presence of Jesus.
Practices of Surrender
Check your thinking against the Word of God. The Word is the discerner of man and our thoughts (Hebrews 4:12) and through this, renews and transforms our minds (Romans 12:2).
Check your behavior against the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–25). If these are missing, we need deeper surrender.
Practice spiritual disciplines. Pray, fast, worship, and feed daily on Scripture. The Bible is not for emergencies; it’s daily bread.
Press into the community of God. We are sharpened and strengthened when we gather with the people of God (Hebrews 10:23-25).
The Invitation
Revelation 3:20 records Jesus saying, “Here I am. I stand at the door and knock.” Surrender means opening the door, loosening our grip, and letting Him reign.
For more than a hundred years, believers have sung the simple hymn:
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give,
I will ever love and trust Him.
In His presence, daily live
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to thee, my blessed saviour
I surrender all
It’s more than a song. It’s a confession that we never outgrow.
As a church, as individuals, as disciples of Jesus, the God-ordained purpose and future he has for us lies on the other side of, and will always be sustained by surrender.
So today, the question is this: what is the Holy Spirit tugging on, beckoning you to surrender? What have you held onto tightly, attempting to do it on your own? What area of your thinking or your behavior can be brought into alignment with the Word?
And the invitation is simple: lay it down. Let go of control. Open the door. And discover again that surrender is not weakness; it is the way of the Kingdom.