The Call to Surrender

“Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.’” - Luke 9:23-24 

Jesus doesn’t mince words. Following Him isn’t a casual stroll—it’s a death march. It’s not a hobby, it’s a wholesale reorientation of your life.

Let’s be clear: surrendering to Jesus is not the same as tweaking a few behaviors. It’s not religious modification—it’s a full-blown demolition of self-rule. Jesus says if you want to follow Him, you’ve got to die. Daily. Not just in theory, but in reality.

Self-denial means laying down the entire project of building your own kingdom. It means shutting down the relentless pursuit of comfort, power, and self-sovereignty. You no longer call the shots—He does.

And then Jesus adds: “Take up your cross daily.” Don’t romanticize this. The cross isn’t decorative—it’s an instrument of execution. It’s the slow death of pride, the crucifixion of entitlement, the daily suffocation of self-glory.

But here’s the paradox: as you die, you live. You let go of the tiny, temporal kingdom of you and receive the eternal, unshakable kingdom of Christ. You exchange shallow self-preservation for soul-deep freedom.

Reflection Questions:

• What areas of your life are you still clinging to for control?
• What would it look like to practically surrender those areas to God today?

Today, identify one area where you’re still clinging to self-rule—whether it’s your time, finances, ambitions, or relationships—and intentionally surrender it in prayer. Then, take a practical step of obedience that demonstrates your surrender.

Prayer:
Jesus, I confess that I often want You as Savior but resist You as Lord. Strip me of my self-will. Kill my pride. Teach me the joy of daily surrender, knowing that only in losing my life will I truly find it. Amen.