What Does it Mean to Surrender?
Surrendering to GOD means, releasing control and trusting in His Spirit’s guidance. It is realizing and taking a seat behind that Wisdom, even when it challenges our own plans, desires, or understanding. It’s not passive resignation, it’s an active, heartfelt choice to align our life with an advanced purpose.
Being afraid to surrender to GOD or to your spouse’s input is acutely human. It touches on our most vulnerable places: fear of losing control, fear of being hurt, fear of not being adequate.
Letting go of what little control we believe we have is always an issue with us humans. Even those of us who declare that we are wholly committed followers of Yeshua (Jesus).
It is a very difficult choice of several actions to release the need to manage every outcome. Trusting that GOD’s plan may be better than our own is not as simple as we say it can be or actually is. There is and will always be the uncertainty of accepting His will and Ways as best for our future and today’s circumstances. Believing that even in confusion or pain, there’s meaning and direction beyond what you and I can see is quite the conundrum.
The continuous efforts to live in unpretentiousness and trust will only cause us to be better servants of His, and a solid helper of our spouse. Why is that?
We all have limits. Acknowledging them is a great start. Recognizing that the wisdom found in our humanity is finite and admitting that GOD’s divine Wisdom is immeasurably unmatched.
Should we believe GOD? You can freely answer that. Believing that GOD is Who He said, and still says He is, can be a hugely important hurdle to overcome. Trusting the LORD’s character is nothing short of a battle for holiness and doing what is called surrendering to His will.
Believing that the GOD of all is loving, just, and faithful, even when life feels unfair takes a LOT of guts and shows the man in you is starting to awaken!
The people who are around you are looking for continuity in your words and actions. Our obedience and faith alignment are “must-see television”. What does that mean? It means, living by faith (trusting in GOD’s Word), not just your feelings are what shapes a person. Choosing to follow spiritual truths even when they are difficult or unpopular is what will eventually determine your future’s today.
I struggle with aligning with GOD’s will sometimes. Seeking His Guidance through prayer and the Scriptures is time consuming and places MY investment into what He knows will give me the BEST and MOST FAVORABLE dividends. The question is, “Am I willing to act on it (what I get in return)?”
I am astonished at the amount of anxiety people have that is connected to pressing through life. Many of us do not know the freedom that shows up, when we pursue GOD’s Shalom (Peace).
“Freedom” from the apprehension and worry does not mean that your experiences are all about skipping through the meadows and frolicking the roads of joyous and stress-free living. THAT is NOT reality. However, surrender does bring peace, because you no longer carry the weight of the world alone.
When a person surrenders, his/her life becomes part of Something bigger. He is Eternal and His people are trusting Him for the same thing you and I are—HOPE through all of “this”. Your peace has a purpose.
Surrender isn’t weakness, it’s spiritual strength. It’s saying, “LORD, I trust You more than I trust myself.”
The crux of spiritual surrender is nothing short of the act of humility and trust that reshapes how we walk through life.
Each of us has limits and limitations. We know this. The problem is, we struggle with acknowledging them. We have to let go of the illusion that we must know everything, fix everything, or carry everything alone. You must understand, you’re no longer the sole architect of your life. Surrender!
Trusting GOD’s character (shem/name) is the anchor in that surrender. It’s considering that even when the path is unclear, the One guiding you is Good, His Love is constant, His Justice is true, and His Faithfulness never fails—even when circumstances do.
It’s the kind of trust (surrender) that says, “I don’t understand this, but I know You.”
Surrendering is and can be extremely liberating.
It’s the moment you realize that your worth isn’t measured by how much you control, solve, or predict. It’s the moment that you don’t have to be the hero of every story, the answer to every question, or the strength behind every burden. It’s in that proclamation that you find peace. Not because everything is solved, but because you’re no longer trying to carry it all alone.
What about your spouse? Where does that person figure into this change of thinking? Is it the fear of becoming emotionally vulnerable? Yeah… That can feel risky. What if they don’t handle your heart with care? What if they keep making the same choices that caused some of the past wounds? Past injuries can make surrender feel unsafe, especially if trust has been broken before.
Surrender in marriage isn’t submission. It IS intimacy though. It’s the courage to be fully known and still fully loved. It’s choosing to be a team, not just two individuals side by side.
What now? What roads do I travel? Let’s try the One Road. That Path will lead you forward towards the honest that is required in any and every relationship.
Are we liars when we are not honest with your spouse? Go ahead and think about that one. Start with honesty, admit the fear. That’s where healing begins. Fear thrives in silence. When you and I admit the fear (whether it’s fear of being hurt, fear of losing control, fear of not being enough), we make room for Help to arrive. We allow our hurting SELVES to be seen, first by GOD, then by your spouse, and finally by yourself. That honesty isn’t weakness—it’s the doorway to healing.
If you are a person who has made it a difficult task for your spouse or GOD to trust you, start practicing trust in small ways—every day. It builds strength like muscle—slowly and steadily.
You don’t have to surrender flawlessly. You must be willing to try, and in that trying, love deepens, faith strengthens, and peace finds room to grow.
Emunah is often translated as “faith,” but its meaning goes far deeper than mere belief. It is rooted in trust, steadfast loyalty and an active faith. It’s not passive. Emunah moves you to act, to walk forward even when the path isn’t clear.
Bitachon is deep inner confidence and is more than hope. It a calm assurance that GOD is leading and has control. It can be understood as active reliance. This word brings serenity, because you trust that what unfolds is guided by Love’s Wisdom.
Bitachon vs Emunah
Emunah is faith—believing in GOD’s existence and truth.
Bitachon is trust—relying on GOD’s goodness and care in your daily life.
Together, they form the foundation of spiritual resilience. Emunah says “GOD is real, Kind, Just, Merciful and Loving,” and Bitachon says “I am safe in His hands.”
What if “FEAR” is in control? What now? If you think about it, fear is the great disruptor of trust. It whispers lies that make us doubt what is steady, question what is sacred, and resist what is healing.
Fear vs Faith
Fear says, “You’re not safe.”
Faith says, “You’re held.”
Fear says, “You have to control everything.”
Surrender says, “You’re not alone.”
Fear thrives in uncertainty, but faith is forged in it. TRUE surrender requires stepping into the unknown—not because you’re fearless, but because you trust the One who walks with you.
There is destruction that arrives and follows the leadership of fear. Know that fear destroys the work of trust. As I mentioned above, “Fear is the great disruptor of trust.”
Fear disrupts and destroys your faith and can erode your confidence in GOD’s goodness, replacing peace with panic.
Fear disrupts and destroys your desire to surrender, because it convinces you that vulnerability is dangerous.
Fear disrupts and destroys your intimacy with GOD, with your spouse, even with yourself.
Fear builds walls where love longs to build bridges.
You don’t have to surrender flawlessly. You must be willing to try. Remember this wonderful quote by Yoda: “There is no try. ...only do.”