I SURRENDER ALL

Introduction

As we continue our exploration of how to live a SUBMITED life, we’ll begin unpacking the first principle
of SUBMIT which is Surrender. Together we’ll gain a better understanding of God’s love for us; we’ll examine self- love God’s way; and we’ll assess what it truly means to love others.

A Surrendered Heart – That’s what God wants from you and from me and surrendering your all to God is as easy as calling out to Him.

Table Of Contents (Select Section)

  1. Do You Love Me More Than These
  2. Naked And Afraid No More
  3. Tour Up From The Floor Up

SECTION 1: DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE

Do You Love Me More Than These: Surrendering Everything that Stands in the Way of Your Relationship with God

Learning to SUBMIT your all to God encompasses the following six principles:

S – Surrender

U – Unconditional Love

B – Beholden

M – Motivate

I – Intimacy

T – Trust

This study will examine the principle of surrender and how our love of “things” can detract from our surrender to God.

Scripture 

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15)

Lessons Learned

“All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give.” A beautiful, melodic song that fills the soul with warmth and hope. Lovely lyrics that roll off the tongue like buttercream icing on a slice of moist red velvet cake. If I could only live these lyrics as easily as I can sing them.

In the study “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf”, I shared how fear can hinder us from surrendering our all to God. Well the love of our “these” can also serve to hinder us. What “these” am I referring to? I’m so glad you asked.

In reading John 21:1-19, Jesus’ question to Simon Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” Intrigued me. Like Peter, I was perplexed, because Jesus asked the question three times, even though Peter had assured Jesus that he did in fact love Him. So I begin to dissect the story, to try to get a better understanding.

If you read back a few chapters, you’ll learn that prior to this exchange between Christ and Peter, Christ had already been crucified, had risen from the grave, and had just re-appeared to the disciples reassuring them that He was in fact alive. I can only imagine the range of emotions that the disciples were experiencing. Shock, joy, awe, and perhaps some confusion too. After all, their King, who certainly didn’t act like or look like a King had died and just as they were trying to wrap their heads around the fact that He was gone, He returns and then begins to speak of leaving them again. I’m imagining that Peter was most likely fidgety, unsure of what to do with all those pent up emotions. Perhaps he needed to clear his head so he decided to do that which was familiar to him, to do the thing he loved to, to do the thing he knew how to do well – fish.

He called out to his boys, letting them know he was headed out to sea and the other disciples, who were probably feeling just as lost, joined him. I can imagine them out on the boat rehashing the events of the past few days. I can imagine the questions they asked, “Can you believe our Lord is alive? He really is the Son of God!” “But He’s leaving us and now what are we supposed to do? You know the Pharisees probably want to kill us too.” “What are we supposed to do now?” The Bible says that they fished all night, but they caught nothing.

Early that morning Jesus was on the shore and He called out to Peter and the other disciples, “Friends, did you catch any fish?” They answered that they had not, so Jesus told them to try again and to throw their nets on the right side of the boat this time, and He assured them that they would find fish. The disciples didn’t recognize Jesus, but maybe because they were tired, or maybe because they had had similar experiences before, they did as Jesus commanded.

When the disciples lowered the net again, they were amazed by the large amount of fish they caught. Then Jesus called out, “It’s me, Jesus, your Lord!” And guess who jumped into the water to swim to shore? Peter of course! When the other disciples finally arrived to shore, Jesus had a fish fry going and they ate breakfast together on the shore.

During my visit to Israel in March 2016, I had the opportunity to visit what was presumed to be the remains of Peter’s home. It was located right on the Sea of Galilee and the historians noted that Peter’s home was rather large for the average person during that time and it was ideally located and provided the perfect access to the sea. So I’m guessing that Peter did pretty well as a fisherman. He was most likely remarkable at his trade. But one day he got a call to be a fisherman of men. Peter knew that Jesus was extraordinary, that this calling was exceptional and he couldn’t resist it if he wanted to. So he jumped in head first and followed Christ.

But it was when things got difficult and when it wasn’t so easy to follow Jesus that falling back into fishing was Peter’s mode of operandi, his default setting, his tried and true. it was during the times when life was uncertain, when accolades and praise weren’t forthcoming, when money seemed tight, and when they had finished eating, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” I paused here and pondered, what “these” could Jesus be referring to? Was He asking if Peter if he loved Jesus more than then his home, his status, his safety, even more than the thing that Peter loved greatly – fishing?

“Peter, do you love me more than these?” Perhaps Jesus was saying, “Peter, what I’ve been trying to tell you along is that you have to forsake everything, including fishing, and follow me. And that means following me even in the dark, scary, and ambiguous times. In the hard, frustrating, and challenging times. Even when you’d rather be fishing.”

Lessons Lived

I love the song, “I surrender all” and I belt it out every chance I get. I sing with fervor and passion, and it usually even brings a tear to my eye. But do I really mean all? Do I really give my all freely? Truth be told, in the recesses of my mind, I secretly add on a phrase, “I surrender all except for these.” Sure I would love to believe that come what may, Christ is first in my life. But what I’ve found is that just like Peter, when things get hard, uncomfortable or unsure, I revert right back to my default setting, to that place where things seemed easier, where I experienced success, where I was happy, where I was sure. I long for and find comfort in “my these.” And no, my “these” aren’t boats and fishing, but they do the same for me as perhaps fishing did for Peter. My “these” happen to include my family, my comfort foods, my work, and even my writing. My “these” and your “these” are any and everything that keep us from surrendering all, at all times in every situation to Him!

And please don’t misunderstand what Christ is asking us to do. He’s not saying we should go without things or persons that make us happy or stop doing the things that bring us pleasure. But what He is asking is could we give up our “these” without hesitation in order to accomplish His work, His plans and His purposes? Just as He asked of Peter, He’s asking of us – Do we choose Him over our “these” from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till His soon coming return?

“All my “these” I surrender, all to Him I freely give. Worldly pleasure all forsaken, in His presence daily live.” This is my prayer for each of you, as it is my prayer for myself too, as we strive to surrender all, even our “these” to Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reflections

  • How does John 21:15 speak to you?
  • There are lots of opinions in the world about the concept of submission. What are some views,definitions or beliefs that you’ve encountered? What should we do with the information that we’re bombarded with on a daily basis? How do these messages impact your perceptions and practices? Compare these perceptions with the Bible principles of submission.
  • Name the “these” in your life or those things that you could potentially love more than your relationship with Christ?
  • How difficult might it be for you to surrender your “these” for the sake of following Christ?
  • Consider the lyrics to “I Surrender All.” Have you surrendered everything in your life to Christ?Why or why not? If not, what holds you back? What’s most challenging to surrender?

What are your personal LIFE Lessons?

  • Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts and/or practices?
    Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally and/or mentally motivated to live for Christ?
  • Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can serve to reinforce and strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
  • Edification: How might you share your story in order to edify others and bring glory to God?

Playlist

Prayer

SECTION 2: NAKED AND AFRAID NO MORE

Naked and Afraid No More: Walking in the Light of a Surrendered Life

Learning to SUBMIT your all to God encompasses the following six principles:

S – Surrender

U – Unconditional Love

B – Beholden

M – Motivate

I – Intimacy

T – Trust

This study will examine the principle of surrender and how our surrender frees us from guilt, shame and defeat.

Psalm 31:1 – In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Lessons Learned

In the steamy outback of Australia, Laura and Nicklas prepare to battle intensely hot days and extremely cold nights, poisonous spiders, flash floods and a parched, barren and unforgiving landscape—all while naked. Laura is equipped with her fire starter and Nicklas with his machete and they launch into the tasks of building shelter and starting a fire before the storm clouds let loose. But trouble quickly arises as Laura rebukes Nicklas for his poor attempt at building adequate shelter. And her rebuke is ratified as we find the two huddled together, shivering and wet all while Nicklas cries, questioning what he had gotten himself into. The next morning, desperate for warmth, Laura attempts to start a fire. Days two and three go by and Laura experiences no success. Finally, on the eve of day three, Nicklas tries and succeeds. But is Laura happy? Absolutely not. She feels frustrated and outdone and feels that she has now unjustly been relegated to the “woman’s work.” Laura’s anger simmers and turns into fury then rage and she eventually gets kicked off the show. Laura left the show naked and ashamed.

Think I’m making this up? Nope, I didn’t. This was Season 5, Episode 9 of the Discovery Channel’s hit show, Naked and Afraid where each week a man and a woman, who meet for the first time, team up to survive in a remote wilderness for 21 days with nothing but one single, personal item.

As I watched Nicklas and Lara, something struck me as being vaguely familiar. I recall hearing a story about a man and a woman who were placed in unchartered territory, designed to thrive in the elements and enjoy bright, sunny days, mingle with the lions, tigers and bears, and figure out what to eat and what not to eat—all while naked. Both were intentionally, beautifully, and wonderfully created to inhabit this land and both were equipped with the one tool needed to survive, sweet communion with God. And life was good. Life was really good until the woman encountered a snake, who did what snakes do—deceive and distort truth. At the snakes convincing, the woman ate the forbidden fruit, and she then convinced the man to eat the forbidden fruit, and both found themselves for the very first time aware of their nakedness and their shame. Clamoring for fig leafs, seeking to cover their guilt, their sorrow, and their confusion; both soon discovered the harsh realities of being kicked out of the Garden of Eden, destined to live life naked and ashamed.

Lessons Lived

As always, I look for personal life applications. See God also intentionally, beautifully and wonderfully created me with everything that I need to survive this rough terrain and uncertain crossroads on this journey called life. Because of the elements of destruction threatening to overtake me, I too clamor for shelter or covering. And like Laura on Naked and Afraid, I sometimes react irrationally and sometimes like Eve, I take cover and hide behind the fig leafs of guilt, hurt, hopelessness and shame.

Maybe you also have a host of fig leafs that feebly cover you. And if you don’t, I surely have enough to go around. Do any of these sound familiar?

The fig leaf of worry about whether my children can withstand the temptations and challenges that plague them. The fig leafs of fear and doubt as to whether I can fulfill God’s call to ministry and truly trust that He can do what I am unable to do as He has promised;

  •  The fig leaf of guilt and shame as I continue to carry the burdens of my past;
  • The fig leaf of pain as I continue to battle asthma and allergies and numbness and fatigue;
  • The fig leaf of hopelessness as the world around me gives way to violence, hatred, and hurt.

But, (Oh how I love God’s big buts), I’m so glad I serve a God who had a plan for our salvation from day one. Despite Adam and Eve’s sin and their condemnation to death, God provided them a chance for eternal life. And He has afforded me, and has afforded you, the same ‘no restrictions exchange policy.’ See, for each and every fig leaf that I choose to surrender to Him, He promises to exchange them for white garments, washed in the blood of the Lamb so that I, you, we no longer need to be clothed in our fig leafs of shame (Revelation 3:18). If I were to exchange my fig leafs of robes of righteousness, my life on the other side of sin, might look like this:

Worry for Worship

Fear for Faith

Doubt for Deliverance

Pain for Purpose

Hopelessness for Happiness

The act of surrender is quite simple—it’s a choice. If we simply make the choice to give God our all, He’ll do the rest. Give Him your all—-your hurt, pain, fears, joys, talents, passion, guilt, and shame—and He can use it, transform it, or remove it. Won’t you give Him your all today? Won’t you experience life free of the fig leafs that hide the true you? Let’s live naked! Naked and Unashamed as we surrender our all to God, the only one Who can save us.

Reflections

    • How does Psalm 31:1 speak to you?
    • What fig leafs of shame, guilt, and/or fear do you wear?
    • What are your thoughts regarding the act of surrender being a choice?
    • If you surrendered your fig leafs, what could God bless you with instead?
    • What are your personal LIFE Lessons?
      Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts and/or practices?
      Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally and/or mentally motivated to live for Christ?
      Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can serve to reinforce and strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
      Edification: How might you share your story in order to edify others and bring glory to
      God?
  • Why or why not? If not, what holds you back? What’s most challenging to surrender?
  • What are your personal LIFE Lessons?Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts and/or practices?
    Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally and/or mentally motivated to live for Christ?

    Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can serve to reinforce and strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
    Edification: How might you share your story in order to edify others and bring glory to
    God?

Playlist

As you process, digest, and apply what’s been shared, here are a couple of songs from my “Totally SUBMITted” Playlist. Listen, Let the music infiltrate your soul. Read the lyrics and let the words encourage you. And I pray that you’ll be blessed as I was.

Prayer

SECTION 3: TORE UP FROM THE FLOOR UP

Tore Up From The Floor Up: Allowing God to Transform You as an act of complete Surrender

Learning to SUBMIT your all to God encompasses the following six principles:

S – Surrender

U – Unconditional Love

B – Beholden

M – Motivate

I – Intimacy

T – Trust

This study will examine the principle of surrender and how our need for things remaining the same hinder us from a total surrender.

Isaiah 64:8 – But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Romans 12:1 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Lessons Learned

Surrendering your all to God also includes surrendering your desire to remain the same. And that’s can be really hard especially when you’re most likely pretty content with the way things are. Change is scary. Change is hard. But in order to walk in the new way that God has prepared for you (Isaiah 43:18-19), you have to surrender your will and your control to Him…and then prepare to be changed!

I love the poem, The Creation, by James Weldon Johnson. I particularly like these verses:

Up from the bed of the river God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river He kneeled Him down;

And there the great God Almighty
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand;
This Great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby,
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till He shaped it in His own image;
Then into it He blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul.

Can’t you just imagine the time, care, attention and love that God poured into making man; poured into creating you and creating me? Just imagine, “God using His divine thumb as He smoothed the clay into the form of a head, a torso, legs, arms, hands, and feet. Imagine the attention given to shaping the ears, the nose, the eyes, and the lips and the delicate care given to chiseling each strand of hair” (Naked and Unashamed, pg. 120). And if God, our Creator, the One who knows the number of times your heart beats in a minute, the things that make you smile and the things that bring you deep sadness; then wouldn’t it be best if You allowed Him to direct your life?

I recall a visit to the Terracotta Army archaeological site in Xian, China. The terracotta army is a collection of re-built terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It was the belief of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and most of the citizens of that day, that after ones death, you would spend five years in an afterworld and in order to be set up in the after world, one would need to take whatever they’d need with them. So many would bury with them tiny replicas of houses, chariots, people, etc. And if you lived a good life in the afterworld, you could then return to this world reincarnated into something special. So Emperor Qin Shi Huang decided that in order to have power, protection and wealth in the afterworld, he would need to build his army and his kingdom, to be buried with him so he’d have it when he died. So he employed hundreds of thousands of workers to build over 8,000 terracotta soldiers, 100 chariots, and 600 horses. These sculptures were intricately patterned and each one was unique in design. And millions of dollars, thousands of hours, and hundreds of men were dedicated to this endeavor.

In 1974, farmers discovered pieces of the terracotta army figures and a huge excavation project is under way in an attempt to uncover and preserve every piece in order to put the figures back together again.

I watched in fascination, thinking, “Wow, what a great historical wonder. Wow, what a waste of time, resources, and energy, then and now.” Because all of this putting back together will result in a bunch of restored statues that will be just as lifeless now as they were then. I also remember thinking, I’m so glad that my reconstruction process is full of meaning and purpose, with an end result of a life transformed.

Lessons Lived

I know this process of change sounds scary and complex, but I guarantee you that your life in the hands of the Potter is sweeter than anything you could ever hope for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). I remember the day I threw up my hands in surrender, not because I wanted to, but because I had no other choice. I was a pregnant full-time student, alone, jobless, in need of a place to live, and unsure how I would finish school and care for myself and a baby. Sure, I tried it my way for a while, but that didn’t seem to be working. And finally got to the end of my rope, fell to my knees and I begged Christ to take the wheel, because my life in my hands was a disaster in the making. Those few words, “Jesus, I give” was all it took for Him to turn my life around and to get me on the right course – a far better, greater, more fulfilling course! Did my circumstances change, no. I was still pregnant, in need of shelter and an income. But what did change was me. God gave me a peace that surpassed all understanding. He changed how I viewed problems and challenges. He changed how I viewed success and relationships and He built my faith with each and every answered prayer.

Now don’t get me wrong, for those of you have never been broken, the molding process can be, actually mostly likely will be, painful. Because in order to mold you, He’ll have to break you. But don’t worry, for once He puts you back to together, gives you a Heavenly makeover, you’ll be the masterpiece He designed you to be (Isaiah 64:8). And for those of you who are broken right now, what do you have to lose?

Surrender your all to Him today. Place your life in the hands of the Potter and allow Him to recreate you, fully restoring you to the one He designed you to be.

Get ‘tore up from the floor up’ – God style – and I guarantee your life will never be the same again.

Reflections

  • How does Isaiah 64:8 speak to you?
  • How does Romans 12:2 speak to you?
  • How does the story of creation speak to you about the character of God and His love for you? (Genesis 1:1-31)
  • Get some clay or some Play-Doh and work with it, making whatever you wish. How does this process make you feel?
  • How does your clay work compare to Jeremiah 18:1–12 and to Isaiah 64:8?
  • Imagine your re-molded life. What would your life in God’s hands look like compared to your life now?

What are your personal LIFE Lessons?

  • Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts and/or practices?
  • Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally and/or mentally motivated to live for Christ?
  • Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can serve to reinforce and strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
  • Edification: How might you share your story in order to edify others and bring glory to God?

Playlist

As you process, digest, and apply what’s been shared, here are a couple of songs from my “Totally SUBMITted” Playlist. Listen, Let the music infiltrate your soul. Read the lyrics and let the words encourage you. And I pray that you’ll be blessed as I was.

Prayer