Pastor Rick Warren says, “Surrender is the heart of worship.”

Surrender is a hard word to swallow. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I think of waving the white flag in humiliating defeat. I think of being held at gunpoint by the enemy that has captured you.

But surrender is the heart of worship…

Surrender is powerless because we no longer are in control. We have been backed down and have lost. We exchange our freedom for captivity, right?

Surrender is the heart of worship…

Surrender calls us quitters, yet, surrender is the heart of worship?

Which is it? Who owns the rights to the word surrender? Is it the heart of worship or is it at the heart of Satan’s plan to destroy us?

Yes…

Satan has perverted God’s plan for surrender (what hasn’t he perverted right?) by convincing us that we are somehow weaker or less important if we give up our agenda for God’s. I find myself doing this All. The. Time.

I find myself trying harder (there’s that word again…) to hold on to control, to not let things spiral out of control under my own strength and while on my watch. If things are chaotic or messy, I’m afraid of what people will say. Will they think I can’t handle my business? Will they think less of me or talk about me behind my back?

The truth is, I can’t handle my business. I’m not capable of living on my own. And people are imperfect humans. They will talk about us behind our backs. But here is where I find hope, rest and peace…

Surrender is the heart of worship.

In God’s dictionary, surrender is defined as strength, maturity and growth. We can’t be in the middle of the heart of worship of the Most Holy if we can’t get surrender right. How do I know this? I know because I surrender and un-surrender like on a weekly basis. Why do I let Satan tell me lies? How does it get such power over my life? Those are questions for another day, but you get it don’t you? You’re living there too aren’t you?

…or am I the only one? I don’t think I am. We’re all there.

My Pastor Steve Trammell said a few weeks ago, “The purpose of wrestling with God is to lose.”

Re-read that statement again…ok, isn’t that amazingly profound and yet so simple? The reason it so resonates with us is because when we lose to God, we win.

WE WIN.

Surrender is the heart of worship. Now, let’s go lose to God.