Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:34-35

Surrender. It’s a word that many see in a negative light. A surrender occurs when a person or group has been overpowered. While that’s a true definition of it, there is more to it. To surrender also means “to give up completely or agree to forego especially in favor of another.” 

When we surrender to Jesus, we have the ability to agree to forego in favor of His purpose. We get to choose to be a part of His eternal game plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says that His plans are not harmful, but are good, bring hope, and a bright future. 

But we often hold on to our agenda as we attempt to follow Jesus. We don’t want to surrender because we are convinced that our limited vision and wisdom exceeds God’s boundless and foolproof strategy. Our full surrender to Jesus usually boils down to one question:

How much will be required of me?

And the answer is simple. Everything.

In Mark 8:34-35, we read that if we want to be Jesus’s disciples and follow Him, we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross. The Greek word for deny in Mark, chapter 8 is aparneomai, and it means to “forget one’s self and lose sight of one’s interest.”  These two verses are summed up in this way: deny self and die to self. 

Surrendering to Jesus means putting aside our selfish desires and letting Him guide us. It’s about trusting His perfect plan even when it seems unclear. It’s believing that our everlasting joy is more important than any temporary pleasure.

But there’s another question that we don’t ask, but should. What is a life surrendered to Jesus filled with? The answer is the same. Everything. 

Every spiritual blessing from God comes when we stop trying to fulfill our own plans. Yes, troubles will still come. Burdens will still weigh us down. Hardships will still appear. But despite it all, we receive…

His unbreakable peace.
His amazing joy.
His unexplainable freedom.
His incredible love.
His generous mercy.
His undeserved grace.
His calming presence.
His comforting wisdom.

All because we trusted in the plan of the God of the universe instead of our own. So, if we want to know how to follow Jesus, we just have to ask who is leading us. Either Jesus is leading, or we are. Either we choose Jesus, or we choose self. It’s not complicated to decipher; it’s just not easy to accomplish. Following Jesus means more of Him, less of us. 

He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30