The Depths of Surrender

Surrender is a frightening word for many. The definition of surrendering is, "To abandon oneself entirely to; to give in to." I think we prefer the term "half-surrender." We are all too familiar with this form of surrender, the type that looks like jumping off the boat so long as you can see there is enough depth below your feet and no scary sharks encircling. This surrender is no surrender at all, for one primary reason... You are still in control. You get to measure the perceived risk and control how much pain you have to endure. True surrender looks more like this picture: You are out on a boat, located in the middle of nowhere, your shipmaster is telling you to jump out with no explanation as to why, oh, and on top of that, you may not even trust the guy! Would you jump?

God is the shipmaster, and He is telling you to jump! Maybe He tells you why, maybe He gives no explanation at all, but one thing is certain, once you jump, you dive deep into the depths of His matchless love.

I know this topic is cliche, but it doesn't change its importance in our lives. If you believe you are truly surrendered, then why are you still infatuated with the things of this world? Why do you not believe who He says you are? Why are you frustrated and always pointing the finger at someone else? These may be indicators of a half-surrendered heart.

Diving into the depths of God's love feels a lot like drowning and the deeper you go, the more you taste death. When you first begin to drown, your body goes into survival mode. Every part of you is screaming on the inside. Eventually, that fight stops and your whole body gives into drowning. Now relate this to what happens to us spiritually. We may feel we are starting to drown, and we kick and scream to stay in control above the surface of the water. Always staying on the surface, always comfortable and safe. Even this is too much for us, so we put on our life jacket, grab a floaty and enjoy a nice beverage in the sun.

There is a clarion call to take the life jacket off, abandon the illusion of safety and let yourself sink beneath the surface. The truth of the matter is you were never safe to begin with. You are still in the middle of no-mans-land with no map showing where you are going next and every ounce of control you think you have can be disrupted at any moment. Whether you choose to sink or fight to stay above water will greatly determine the level of intimacy you get to share with God. The sooner you realize how little control you have in this life over any outcome, the better. The more you trust the Shipmaster, the easier it is to jump and sink to the depths of the sea. When you first answer the call to jump and let the waves pull you down, you may eventually get tired and swim to the surface of life's pleasures again. But the more you jump, the more you prefer to stay beneath the waves, sinking deeper and deeper into His love and sovereign care.

The reason He asks us to jump and allows us to sink is not because He takes pleasure in our pain, but rather because He knows what our pain produces. If the surface of the water represents earthly desires, dreams, personal goals, aspirations, distractions and sin, then the more we sink, the further from those we become. At some point, we won't want to return to the surface, but instead are overjoyed to explore the great depths. Sinking deep is like falling back into the arms of a loving Father. This is His greatest hope and dream, that you would go back to your first love. That you would abandon ship to go deeper into his embrace.

Will you jump and will you let the waves crash over you until your appetite for the surface no longer exists?