LIFE Posts - Surrender and Trust, part 1
Last week we discussed the importance of spiritual order, with our spirit in submission to the Holy Spirit, our soul submitted to our spirit, and our body submitted to our soul. This week we start to look at what this submission means – surrendering our whole being to God and His Will.
First let's take a quick survey of Bible verses about surrendering your life to God:
Romans 12:1 calls believers to “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Luke 9:23 records Jesus saying, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24–25 echoes this teaching, explaining that whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it.
James 4:7 instructs, “Submit therefore to God.” Proverbs 3:5–6 emphasizes trusting God with all your heart rather than leaning on your own understanding, with the promise that “He will make your paths straight.” Psalm 37:5 urges believers to “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”
Matthew 6:10 teaches the prayer “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus modeled this in Matthew 26:39, praying “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Colossians 3:1–3 directs believers to seek heavenly things and set their minds on them, recognizing “you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Galatians 2:20 expresses surrender as: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Romans 6:13 demands presenting yourself entirely to God “as an instrument of righteousness.” John 12:24–25 uses the metaphor of a grain of wheat dying to produce fruit, teaching that “he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” Philippians 3:7–8 shows Paul counting everything as loss “in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:6–7 calls believers to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” Romans 14:7–8 affirms that “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reminds believers that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and they should “glorify God in your body.”
The Bible is clear that submitting to God means we have to give ourselves up to Him and His Will, trusting that His Will is best for us. The Freedom curriculum from The Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL and Celebration Church, TX introduce the topic of living surrendered to God by examining Proverbs 3:5-6.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95) 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. [1]
The Hebrew root word translated trust is batach, and carries the meaning “to feel secure, be unconcerned,” or, specifying the reason for the security, “to rely on something or someone.”[2] In the Old Testament, Israel is warned many times about trusting in something other than God – just as in this passage there is a warning to not lean (or trust) on your own understanding. The Hebrew word translated acknowledge is yadaʿ- which means, “to accept (someone) to be what is claimed. Qal: Dt 33:9; Pr 3:6 (2×)”[3] This word also carries a sense of having experiential relationship with that which is trusted. This scripture – and the ones above – force us to ask a question of ourselves: Do I trust God?
A human analogy - The Trust Fall
The trust fall is a classic team-building and experiential learning exercise where one person stands on an elevated platform (or simply stands straight with eyes closed), crosses their arms over their chest, and falls backward. A group of people standing below catches them before they hit the ground. This exercise endures as a memorable image of what trust actually requires because it turns an inner posture into visible action. One person relinquishes control, leans backward into uncertainty, and depends on others to catch them. In that moment, trust is no longer a vague sentiment or a comforting ideal; it becomes a lived decision marked by vulnerability, exposure, and risk. The exercise is often used to build teamwork and mutual confidence, but its deeper value lies in the way it reveals that trust is never merely emotional. It involves overcoming fear, exercising judgment, communication, preparation, and the willingness to rely on something beyond one’s own ability to secure the outcome. The person who falls must accept vulnerability, but the group that catches must demonstrate attentiveness, coordination, strength, and responsibility.
Trust therefore appears not as a one-sided feeling but as a relational reality in which dependence and duty meet. For that reason, the trust fall also exposes an important truth that is often overlooked: genuine trust requires discernment. It is not enough that the catchers mean well. Good intentions, by themselves, cannot guarantee a safe landing. The one who falls must assess whether the group is ready, capable, properly positioned, and serious about the task. Are there enough people? Are they attentive? Do they understand what is required? Have they prepared, communicated clearly, and taken responsibility for the weight they are about to bear? These questions show that healthy trust is not blind surrender but informed reliance. In life, as in the exercise, people must often evaluate both character and competence. Someone may sincerely want to help and yet lack the strength, discipline, wisdom, or resources to do so. Trust, then, is not the refusal to judge; it is the disciplined act of judging rightly and then committing oneself accordingly. That distinction makes the trust fall a far richer symbol than the simplistic idea of “just let go.”
Seen in this light, the trust fall becomes a powerful analogy for our Christian faith. Many people speak of trusting or submitting to God as if faith or submission were little more than verbal affirmation, emotional reassurance, or religious identity. Yet genuine faith involves more than saying that one trusts God; it requires understanding Who is being trusted, why that trust is justified, and what such trust demands from the believer. Christian faith is not meant to be a careless or thoughtless leap into irrationality, nor is it a passive hope that leaves the believer unchanged. Rather, it joins reflection on God’s character - His faithfulness, goodness, wisdom, and sovereignty - with the costly act of surrendering control, obeying when obedience is difficult, persevering when answers are delayed, and continuing to rely on God when circumstances do not feel safe. In this sense, faith resembles the trust fall at its deepest level: it is not naïve confidence, but a tested and embodied reliance shaped by discernment, humility, and commitment. To trust God truly is not only to believe that He is able to catch; it is also to recognize where one is still resisting the fall, holding back control, or substituting pious language for actual dependence. The image of the trust fall therefore clarifies both human relationships and spiritual life by showing that mature trust always combines wise assessment, personal vulnerability, and the courage to act.
Just as in the human trust fall exercise the team gets to know their other team members in order to assess and build trust, believers have to develop their relationship with God in order to truly develop their trust in Him. Will we be asked to exercise blind faith, trusting Him when everything in the natural world says not to – that it doesn’t make sense? Absolutely! But that isn’t the only way He wants us to know Him and to trust Him.
Looking back at Proverbs 3:5, we’re told to trust God with all our heart. The Hebrew word translated heart is lēb, which means “one’s inner self; inclination, disposition; determination, courage; will, intention; attention, consideration, reason.”[4] To use all of our inner self to trust requires more than blind faith through a simple statement of faith. Trust with all our heart requires our complete self to participate. We do this by examining what it is we’re trusting God with and knowing Who He is. This knowing Him is key – our experiential relationship is where our trust is developed. We don’t know about Him, we experientially know Him.
Developing relationship with God
Often believers can struggle with this call to have an experiential relationship with God. A common attack that the devil uses is to point to another person’s testimony of a relationship with God as evidence that you’re not saved, or God doesn’t want or love you because you don't have the same level of relationship with Him. Such thoughts should be rejected! Growing closer to God is in many ways mirrored in the way we deepen our earthly relationships. Just as people have differing level of closeness, due to the amount of time their relationship has been developed, the same occurs with our personal relationship with God. We should consider - how are relationships built and nurtured?
Relationship building occurs through intentional and consistent interaction. When a couple is dating, they have a focus on learning more about and spending time with the other person. What do they like and dislike? As love develops, desire to serve the other grows. This desire to be with and love the other person manifests in time and intention. The same applies with developing our relationship with God.
How is this done? There isn’t a “one size” or “only one” way – but obviously spending time in God’s Word is important. This time should be quality time – not focused on quantity or accomplishing “reading x number of verses” each day or session. Hand-in-hand with spending time reading God’s Word is prayer. Simply asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself through your time in reading the Word develops closeness. Read, pray, and listen to His message to your heart. Talk with Him about what is going on – you will be amazed by all He has to say about you!
Worshipping God is a natural outgrowth of developing your relationship with Him. As you get closer to Him, the awe and wonder and godly fear of Him produces worship. Worshipping Him can happen both at a church service as well as at home; on the drive to work or when going to bed at the end of the day. Worshipping is a way of life.
Spending time in community with other believers helps develop our relationship with God, as hearing testimony of what He is doing in others deepens faith and awe of Him. Better still is when sharing your own testimony refreshes your understanding of what He has done for you – and as it encourages others it bubbles up even more joy!
Choices before us
Just as developing earthly relationships require decisions to be made to develop them, so it is with our relationship with God. Some choices to consider:
- We must choose to believe God’s Word is true, regardless of whether we understand it or not. Two critically important (among many, many others) items to hold on to in believing the Bible – 1) What it says about God is true and 2) what it says about our identity is true.
- We must choose to act on our belief and trust in Him and His Word. While this includes many facets we’ll discuss over time, in context of living a life of surrender, it means giving Him everything – our time, our things, our relationships, and ourselves.
The wonderful truth in our ongoing sanctification is that the Holy Spirit lives within us, and we’re enabled to do all that God asks of us by His Holy Spirit. The Word tells us in James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” May that call excite us and encourage us – and may we all do exactly that!
Application/Questions/Journal your thoughts
- Spending time in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to cultivate your relationship with Him. Do so in faith knowing that He desires you to draw near to Him, and He will in turn draw near to you in response!
- Also in prayer, ask the Lord for insights and understanding – are there areas in your life that you don’t trust Him? Journal what you get and ask Him for help in trusting Him. God doesn’t ask us to do anything He doesn’t enable us to do. See Mark 9:21-24 for an example where Jesus healed a man’s son after the man was honest about believing yet also having unbelief he needed help with.
- Feeding our spirit through prayer, time in the Word, and worshipping God deepens our relationship with Him. Just as in our earthly relationships we can deprioritize relationships when distracted on focused on something other than the relationship. Are there things that are a higher priority for you than your relationship with God? How can you shift any out-of-order priorities?
Scripture of the week
James 4:8 (NASB95) 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Mark 9:24 (NASB95) 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Romans 10:17 (NASB95) 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB95) 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—
Hebrews 11:6 (NASB95) 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Weekly prayer
Dear Jesus,
I thank You for Your Word, and that You have called me to trust You. Thank You that You enable me to do that, for Your Word tells me that You invite me to abide in You (John 15:5). Holy Spirit, reveal to me the areas that I don’t trust You, and help me to understand the reasons why so that I can hand them over to You. Thank You for calling me to act on my faith in You! Amen.
Freedom Facet
Feeding our spirit requires developing our relationship with God. Choosing to accept His Word as true is a critical step in developing that relationship. Each step forward develops growth and closeness with Him. Just as growing our personal relationships on earth requires focus and effort, so does our spiritual growth and relationship with God. Placing Him first in our life takes effort, and faith isn’t passive.
Jesus's Freedom is for those who call Him Lord - those who believe in Him. If you’ve not yet accepted Christ Jesus as Your Lord, and would like to, say the following prayer aloud.
Lord Jesus, I confess and realize that I am a sinner, and without You, I am lost and separated from God. Thank You for going to the cross and dying for my sins – I ask for Your forgiveness for my sins, and I thank you and receive the forgiveness of my sins Your Word says is now mine! Holy Spirit, I thank You that You now reside within me. I lay down my will for Yours and ask for Your daily guidance and direction to make me more and more like You. Amen!
The Bible tells us that if we confess Jesus as Lord with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God resurrected Jesus from the dead, we are saved for eternity. If you’ve just accepted Jesus as Lord, know that heaven is celebrating right now (Luke 15:10)! Rejoice because you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now have begun the process of sanctification becoming like Him. Keep coming back, as we explore Freedom facets and what our Identity in Christ truly is. Share this joyous news with a brother or sister in Christ and get connected in your local church! LIFE is yours!
Small Group Invitations - Week of May 17, 2026
Below are invitations to just a couple of Men's Small Groups that are happening this week, both a part of Celebration Church, Georgetown, Texas. If these don't work for you, or if you're not a Celebration Church, TX attendee - regardless of the church you attend - being a part of small group is immensely important! If you're not involved in one, I pray that you find one that works for your schedule and you get plugged in. Being connected in the local church will bless you immeasurably!
Tuesday Morning Men's Fellowship Group: 6am - 7am at Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, Texas. Join us for a time of fellowship where we'll discuss the message from the Pastors on Sunday, the newsletter contents, or whatever is going on in the lives of the brothers meeting.
Friday Morning Celebration Men: We're in between on-campus semesters, so we'll be meeting at Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, Texas from 6:30am - 8:am. We conclude at 8am so people can get to work.
[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2] Jepsen, Alfred. 1977. “בָּטַח.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, translated by John T. Willis, Revised Edition, 2:89. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
[3] 2017. In The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] 2017. In The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.