True conversion happens when we surrender our lives to the Lord. How difficult this is for most people! Though a person might desire to do so, actually embracing such a life is more challenging than we realize. Within each of us, there is an inherent human desire for control and self-reliance. How many of us like to manage everything in our lives on our own?

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Pt 5:7) The challenge of surrender is a common experience for many Christians. In a world that tells us to rely on ourselves and be independent, surrendering to God can feel strange. It is hard. It is uncomfortable. However, it is in surrendering to God where we find real freedom and purpose. Do we really believe this?

Original sin changed this reality. Adam and Eve freely abused the gift of freedom, and made themselves independent of God instead of drawing closer to him—humanity’s first rebellion against dependence on God. Satan’s temptation was a subtle distortion that planted doubt in Eve’s mind about God’s goodness and trustworthiness.

Many live with this doubt today, even believers, which is why surrender is challenging. Do I really believe that I can trust God for everything? Perhaps our minds will say yes, but our hearts that control our actions often reveal quite the opposite.

Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say these words: “Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Do we really want heaven to come to earth and penetrate our lives? This requires surrender.

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote: “Christ says ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time, and so much of your money, and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good... Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”

Yes, surrender is hard! But as C.S. Lewis explains, “Surrender is easier than holding tightly to things we were meant to let go of. It’s only when we submit these desires to the Lord and trade our human lives for one transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit that we will find what we’ve been looking for all along.”

Submitting our lives fully to the Lord challenges our ego and confronts our fear of having things our own way. Surrender means embracing vulnerability. It requires letting go of our own plans and desires, trusting in a higher power beyond our understanding. Ultimately, surrendering is a journey of faith and trust, requiring us to submit ourselves fully to the will of God. This is an ongoing battle between our desires and divine guidance, between self-reliance and God’s will.

Here are a few obstacles to the surrender the Lord desires of us.

1. Lack of Relationship with God

When we lack an intimate relationship with God, it becomes a challenge to fully trust and submit ourselves to his divine will. We struggle to understand his character, love and purpose for our lives. We will not trust someone whom we do not know.

2. Lack of Trust in God’s Plan

We struggle to surrender because we doubt whether God’s plan is truly in our best interest. We become consumed by fear and uncertainty. We would rather be in control of our lives, making decisions based on our limited understanding. Trusting in God’s plan requires us to let go of our own and seek his will.

People also dread surrender because they fear God will make them do something they really do not want to do. Fear is the work of the Enemy. This is how the human heart and the devil team up to keep us from the greatest possible holiness and the greatest possible joy. But “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt 13:44)

3. Attachment to Material Possessions (Worldliness)

Attachment to material possessions is a common problem for many believers. Let’s face it: We are worldly. Our attachment to material possessions blinds us from the true source of fulfilment.

4. Pride and Self-dependence

We live in a world that promotes individualism and self-sufficiency, constantly telling us that we should rely on ourselves for success and fulfillment. We also rely on our limited human understanding, seeking solutions within our own strengths. This mindset hinders our ability to surrender to God.

5. Entanglement with Sin

A significant reason why surrendering our lives to God is difficult is because of our entanglement with sin. Sin, like a cunning spider’s web, ensnares our hearts and minds, making it difficult to receive God’s grace that would allow us to surrender our lives to him. Sin, in its various forms, entices us with temporary pleasures, promising fulfilment and satisfaction—all of which communicate that we do not really need God.

Surrendering is not a one-day journey but a lifelong process of growing in faith and trust. When we surrender, the Lord replaces fear with courage, confusion with clarity, anxiety with peace and our small plans with his great ones. Surrender doesn’t make you weak, it makes you free.

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, and I will change your lot.” (Jer 29:11-13)

Surrender is not losing. Surrender is winning in the only way that matters.