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Successful Surrender

By Julie Bastuk

When I was growing up, I dreamed of serving as a lifelong missionary in some remote area of South America or Africa. Later, in college, I tweaked those dreams to include other vocational fields in my mission endeavors, such as medicine or agriculture. I truly believed at the time that it was the path God was leading me down, and when I envisioned my future I could see success as a servant of God.

Now, after almost 10 years have passed, I am farther away from those dreams than ever. Rather than living in a village in Africa, I live in a middle class suburban neighborhood in Denver. I don’t currently utilize my education on a daily basis by working—instead, I spend the majority of my time at home, raising my family. Not long ago, I would look at where I thought my life would lead and where it currently is, and be tempted to label myself as anything but successful. I found it difficult to believe that, because I live a normal ordinary life, I am just as successful in God’s eyes as those He has called to do great things. Over time, God began teaching me what He really asks of each of us. Thankfully, He doesn’t judge us or our successes as the world does.

So, what does make each of us successful in God’s eyes? Is it the number of people we lead to Christ? Is it the number of third-world citizens we tirelessly serve? Is our success wrapped up in our declining tendencies toward sin? All of these are good, but ultimately God seeks something very simple, something deeper than what we do—He wants surrender.

We women often put the cart before the horse. We believe if we are perfect mothers and wives, superstars in our jobs, and perform countless charitable works, God will be pleased with us. However, God is not nearly as concerned with these things as He is with our relationships with Him.

Success in the Surrender

The keys to finding success in our lives are present throughout the Bible, but are compacted in two different Scriptures. In the first verse, Jesus echoes the words of Moses.

“’The most important [commandment],’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”’” (Mark 12:28-30). God’s great desire for us is that we give all we have to Him and love Him passionately and with abandon. Jesus said that loving God is the greatest commandment—it is more important than the things we do, the knowledge we gain, or the people we influence—it is paramount.

In Micah 6:8, God tells us very simply what He expects of us, and what will please Him. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking humbly with God is equivalent to surrendering to Him.     Our success comes through surrender. When we spend time in relationship with Him and give Him every area of our lives, simply doing what He asks of us, mundane or magnificent, we are doing what we were created to do. We may never be well known, hold prestigious positions, or serve God in exotic places, but we will be fulfilled. And this fulfillment will spill over into every relationship and area of our lives.

Our Significance in Christ

Before we can surrender completely to God we must understand the significance of who we are in Christ. Through Christ we have been justified completely and are spotless before God. He accepts us because each of us is the workmanship of Christ. Because of this truth, constantly doing good deeds or performing to win God’s approval is in vain. We already possess his love, affection, and approval.    Opportunities that we are handed in life or gifts that God gives us have nothing to do with our inherent worth. He doesn’t give or take based on what we deserve, but rather what will bring Him the most glory. This means freedom for us—no more striving for the unattainable, trying to be what others want us to be, and most importantly, no more guilt over our imperfections and repeated failures.

We often allow society and our own beliefs about success to place heavy burdens on our shoulders that we can’t and weren’t meant to carry. Why not allow God to gently remove those burdens, and take up His definition of success?

JULIE BASTUK is a freelance writer who lives in Greenwood, Indiana, and holds degrees in biochemistry and missions.