Scripture promises that those who seek God with all their hearts will find Him. God desires a profound and personal relationship with us, one in which we prioritize His will, guidance, and presence above all else. To truly experience this relationship, we must cultivate the discipline of surrender.
God’s Claim on Our Hearts
The essence of surrender lies in recognizing God’s rightful place in our lives. Matthew 22:37 clarifies this: God demands our complete and undivided devotion. A heart surrendered to Him leaves no room for rivals. Therefore, we must rigorously examine ourselves. Are there areas where we withhold control, where our own desires or ambitions eclipse Christ’s authority? If Christ is not the foremost consideration in our thoughts, plans, and actions, then those competing priorities must be identified and confronted.
Seeking First the Kingdom and His Righteousness
Matthew 6:33 presents a foundational principle: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This directive requires unpacking.
The Kingdom of God transcends earthly realms. While the Old Testament foretold a coming kingdom with God’s anointed Messiah, Jesus’ ministry revealed that the Kingdom was not merely a future hope. As Jesus declared, “If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). The Kingdom’s presence was manifested in the King’s presence. Jesus’ kingship is a present reality; Christ reigns now. All authority belongs to Him (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, Matthew 6:33 is a call to prioritization. God’s Kingdom must supersede every earthly kingdom. Our allegiance to Christ must take precedence. While patriotism has its place, our ultimate loyalty resides with our King.
The challenge lies in managing our limited time. We cannot pursue every endeavor, so we must make deliberate choices about what comes first. Our calendars, regular activities, and financial expenditures reveal our true priorities. We must confront the reality that worldly concerns often vie for our attention.
Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6:25. He identifies anxieties about basic necessities—food, drink, and clothing—as distractions. He doesn’t dismiss their importance but stresses that they must not dominate our lives. Instead, He urges us to learn from God’s provision. Observing the birds and the flowers (Matthew 6:26–30) teaches us about God’s unwavering care. We must actively surrender our needs to Him, trusting in His faithfulness.
The Inward Transformation of Surrender
Genuine surrender is not merely lip service; it’s a profound inward transformation. Saying Christ is first and living as though He is are vastly different. When Christ truly reigns, our lives undergo a radical change. Our decisions and schedules reflect our new allegiance.
Matthew 6:25-30 presents a clear choice: We can succumb to worry, or we can actively seek God’s Kingdom. God’s promise of provision stands firm. Worry, therefore, becomes an affront to His character. He knows our needs and has pledged to meet them.
It’s crucial to distinguish between worry and concern. God calls us to be concerned about others, about situations, and about our relationships. He instructs us to pray about these concerns, but to reject anxiety. We must honestly assess the things that trigger worry in our lives and the amount of time and energy we squander on these anxieties, despite God’s promises.
Jesus’ model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 includes the petition, “Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer encapsulates the essence of surrender: a yearning for God’s perfect will to be manifested in our lives and in the world around us.
Imagine the transformation if we redirected the emotional energy consumed by worry towards spiritual pursuits—prayer, Bible study, and serving God. Matthew 21:22 reinforces God’s faithfulness in answering prayer. When we pray with belief, He provides. We must ask God to use us to extend His Kingdom into our spheres of influence, allowing His will to break through on earth through us.
The Pursuit of Righteousness in Surrender
Matthew 6:33 commands us to seek not only God’s Kingdom but also His righteousness. The Kingdom of God is not simply a geographical location but the sphere of God’s reigning influence. It is made visible in the lives of His followers, who embody Christ-like qualities: forgiveness, faith, humility, servanthood, and gratitude.
We attain God’s righteousness through a personal relationship with Him. This relationship demands consistent engagement, not occasional appeals for assistance. Just as a true friendship requires regular communication and mutual investment, so does our relationship with God.
We must examine our prayer lives. Do we primarily approach God in times of need, viewing Him as a cosmic vending machine? God created us for a deeper purpose: to partner with Him in His Kingdom’s work.
Romans 14:17 clarifies the Kingdom’s priorities:
- Priority: Righteousness
- Priority: Peace
- Priority: Joy in the Holy Spirit
- Not a Priority: Food
- Not a Priority: Drink
While physical needs are acknowledged (2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8), the Kingdom’s emphasis is spiritual. The challenge lies in balancing responsibility with a God-centered focus. Nurturing our spiritual lives provides the emotional and spiritual strength to navigate worldly demands.
1 Corinthians 10:31 offers a guiding principle: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This transforms ordinary activities into acts of worship. We must define what “to the glory of God” means in our own lives and actively pursue it in our daily choices. This intentionality will inevitably reshape our habits and priorities.
Therefore, we must continually assess our experience of God’s righteousness, joy, and peace, and the extent to which our lives bring glory to Him.
The Commitment to Surrender
Luke 9:23-24 outlines the commitments required to follow Jesus with the Kingdom of God as our priority:
- Deny oneself
- Take up one’s cross daily
- Follow Jesus
Denying oneself involves relinquishing self-centered desires and ambitions. We must identify specific areas where self-denial is necessary to pursue God more fully.
Taking up one’s cross signifies embracing our personal ministry, our service to others. We must actively seek opportunities to serve and bless those around us.
Following Jesus means surrendering to His leading, even when it’s challenging or uncomfortable. Luke 9:57-62 illustrates the excuses people make to avoid full commitment. We must confront our own tendencies to prioritize comfort or convenience over God’s call.
Jesus’ example calls us to action: He healed the sick, ministered to the needy, taught His disciples, interceded for sinners, and relied on His Father’s provision. To follow Him is to participate in the work of His Kingdom, empowered by His strength (Philippians 4:13).
The Discipline of Prayer
Prayer is the daily lifeline of our spiritual life. Its importance is underscored by the disciples’ request for Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1).
Prayer involves:
- Acknowledging God’s existence
- Submitting to His authority
- Recognizing our own helplessness
- Expressing belief that God hears us
We must examine any resistance we have to these fundamental truths.
Many scriptures on prayer follow a pattern: a condition and a promise. Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 9:23, Mark 11:22-24, James 1:6, and other passages emphasize the necessity of belief and the danger of doubt. Faith demands focus, and our focus is Jesus Christ. Deepening our knowledge of Him strengthens our faith.
We must identify the conditions and promises in these verses, understanding that claiming the promise requires fulfilling the condition.
Prayer is an act of confidence. God knows our needs and works for our good. We pray, therefore, with assurance, trusting in His covenant faithfulness.
A Call to Surrender
The journey of surrender is a continuous process. It demands honesty, vulnerability, and a resolute commitment to placing God at the center of our lives. As we cultivate this discipline, we experience the profound reality of His presence, power, and provision.
Prayer:
Lord, empower me to balance the demands of my life with a fervent desire to glorify You. Teach me the art of surrender, that I may experience the fullness of Your Kingdom.
While personal surrender to God is paramount, we must also recognize the value of seeking wise counsel from mature Christian believers, particularly those trained in biblical counseling. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us, ‘Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.’ A skilled biblical counselor can provide objective, scripturally grounded insights, help us identify blind spots in our surrender, and offer practical guidance for aligning our lives with God’s will.
1 They can walk alongside us, offering encouragement and accountability as we navigate the complexities of surrendering our desires and ambitions to God’s sovereign plan. Seeking such counsel is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of humility and a recognition of our need for God’s wisdom through the body of Christ.
