10 Things To Surrender To God Right Now

What if the very thing you’re holding onto tightly is the one thing keeping you from experiencing God’s peace? When we think about the 10 things to surrender to God, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the weight of letting go.

I’m writing this from my kitchen table, the same spot where my husband and I have been having some of the most important conversations of our marriage. We’re in a season of transition right now.

Honestly, we’re trying to discern whether God is calling us to stay where we are or take a leap of faith and move to a completely new country. The excitement bubbles up in my chest when I think about it, because honestly, I truly believe moving is what God desires for us.

But the practical side of me? She’s terrified.

This isn’t our first rodeo with big life decisions. Each time we’ve faced these crossroads, we’ve had to learn the art of surrendering to God all over again. There have been obstacles every single time—finances that didn’t make sense, timing that seemed off, circumstances that felt impossible.

But here’s what I’ve learnt: surrendering to God doesn’t mean the path becomes easier. It means we stop carrying burdens that were never ours to bear.

Just a few months ago, we moved into a new apartment. We unpacked boxes, arranged furniture, and settled into what felt like our new normal. Now we’re talking about packing it all up again.

This means finding jobs overseas, hunting for apartments from thousands of miles away, navigating visa applications, and somehow getting rid of most of our possessions. When I list it all out like that, it sounds absolutely mad, doesn’t it?

But this is where the power of surrendering to God becomes real. Not in the easy moments when everything makes sense, but in the messy, complicated, “how on earth is this going to work?” moments.

The Biblical Foundation of Surrender

Scripture is full of examples of surrendering to God in the Bible. Think about Abraham leaving everything he knew for a land God would show him. Consider Mary’s “let it be unto me according to your word” when faced with news that would turn her world upside down.

These weren’t people who had it all figured out. They were ordinary humans learning to trust an extraordinary God.

The scriptures on surrendering to God remind us that this isn’t about passive resignation. It’s about active trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.“

When I read surrender to God scriptures like this, I’m reminded that leaning on our own understanding is exhausting. I’ve spent sleepless nights trying to figure out visa requirements and job markets in countries I’ve never lived in.

But somewhere between my third cup of tea and my hundredth Google search, the Holy Spirit whispers: “What if you trusted me with this instead?“

10 Things to Surrender to God Today

Your Timeline:

We live in a culture obsessed with having a five-year plan. But God’s timing rarely matches our carefully crafted schedules. I had to laugh when we started talking about this international move just months after settling into our new place.

My timeline said “stay put for at least two years.” God’s timeline? Well, that’s still being revealed.

Surrendering your timeline means accepting that God’s “not yet” is just as purposeful as His “yes.” It means trusting that delays aren’t denials, and that His timing is always perfect, even when it doesn’t feel convenient.

Your Need for Control:

Oh, this one hits close to home. As a teacher, I’m used to having lesson plans and knowing what’s coming next. But life doesn’t follow lesson plans, does it? The benefits of surrendering to God include freedom from the exhausting burden of trying to control everything.

When we surrender our need for control, we’re not giving up responsibility. We’re simply acknowledging that there are forces greater than ourselves at work. It’s the difference between being a passenger who constantly grabs the steering wheel and one who trusts the driver completely.

Your Fears About the Future:

Fear loves to dress itself up as wisdom. It whispers things like “be practical” and “what if it doesn’t work out?” But perfect love casts out fear, and surrendering our anxieties to God is an act of worship.

My husband and I have committed to praying over our decision for three days, in addition to our regular prayer time. Not because we’re trying to convince God of anything, but because we want to align our hearts with His will.

Some nights, the fear creeps in. What if we can’t find jobs? What if we hate it there? But then I remember: God has never failed us before, and He won’t start now.

Your Financial Security:

Money anxiety is real, especially when you’re contemplating using your savings for a major life change. But surrendering to God means trusting that our provider is bigger than our bank account.

This doesn’t mean being foolish with money. It means holding our finances with open hands, knowing that God owns everything anyway. When we moved into our current apartment, the deposit felt huge.

Now we’re talking about international moves and visa fees that make that deposit look like pocket change. But our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Your Career Path:

For those of us struggling to surrender to God completely, our careers often feel like the hardest thing to release. We’ve worked so hard to build our professional identities. But what if God has something better in store?

I love my job as a teacher. The bus rides to and from work have become sacred thinking time. But I’m learning that being called to something doesn’t mean we have to white-knuckle our way there.

Sometimes the most Jesus-centred thing we can do is trust that He’ll open doors we never knew existed.

Your Relationships:

Surrendering our relationships to God doesn’t mean becoming passive. It means praying for wisdom in our interactions and trusting God with outcomes we can’t control.

Whether it’s friendships that might be challenged by a major move, family who don’t understand our decisions, or the new relationships we’ll need to build in a new place, God is sovereign over all of it.

He’s the one who “sets the lonely in families” and connects hearts across continents.

Your Health and Well-being:

Physical and mental health concerns can feel too personal to surrender. But God cares about every aspect of our lives, including our well-being.

The stress of major life decisions can take a toll. I’ve noticed my shoulders creeping up towards my ears more often lately. But surrendering to God includes giving Him our stress, our sleep patterns, and our physical needs.

He’s the one who gives sleep to His beloved.

Your Reputation:

What will people think? It’s the question that keeps us awake at night. But surrendering to God means caring more about His opinion than anyone else’s.

When we announce big life changes, there will always be someone who thinks we’re making a mistake. But obedience to God isn’t about public opinion. It’s about faithfulness to His calling, even when it looks unconventional to everyone else.

Your Comfort Zone:

Growth happens outside our comfort zone, but surrender happens when we stop trying to expand it ourselves. Instead, we trust God to lead us into spaces that stretch us for His purposes.

Moving to a new country again is definitely outside my comfort zone. New systems, new cultures, new ways of doing everything from grocery shopping to finding a church. But maybe that’s exactly where God wants to meet us—in the unfamiliar places where we have no choice but to depend on Him.

Your Perfect Plans:

This might be the hardest one. We make beautiful plans with backup plans and contingency plans. But surrendering to God means holding all our plans loosely, ready to pivot when He redirects.

Our move might not happen when we want it to. It might not look like we imagine. But surrendering to God doesn’t mean giving up on planning. It’s about submitting our plans to His greater purposes.

The Beautiful Exchange

Here’s what I’m learning about surrender: it’s not about losing something. It’s about gaining something better. When we surrender our limited understanding, we gain access to infinite wisdom. When we surrender our tight control, we gain peace that passes understanding.

The surrendering to God verses in Scripture paint a picture of exchange—our burdens for His rest, our anxiety for His peace, our weakness for His strength.

Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.“

Small Steps Towards Surrender

Surrendering doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a daily choice, made in small moments throughout our real life. Here are some gentle ways to practise:

Start each morning by consciously placing your day in God’s hands. Before you check your phone or rush into your to-do list, take a moment to say, “Lord, this day belongs to You.“

When anxiety creeps in, pause and pray. I’ve started doing this during my bus rides when my mind starts spinning about visa applications and job searches. Sometimes the Holy Spirit speaks in those quiet moments of surrender.

Keep a surrender journal. Write down the things you’re releasing to God each day. You’ll be amazed at how He handles what you entrust to Him.

Find scriptures that speak to your specific struggles with surrender. Write them on cards and keep them somewhere visible. Let God’s word reshape your thinking about letting go.

The God Who Catches Us

As I write this, I’m reminded that surrender isn’t about falling into an abyss. It’s about falling into the arms of a God who catches us every time. Every previous season of surrender in our lives has taught us that God’s plans are better than our backup plans.

When we first got married, we had to surrender our individual dreams to build something together. When we moved countries for my job, we had to surrender familiarity for growth. Each time, there were obstacles that seemed impossible—until they weren’t.

Now, as we face this potential international move, I’m reminded that God’s track record in our lives is perfect. Not because everything went exactly as we planned, but because He worked everything together for our good, just as He promises.

How to Surrender to God Completely

Complete surrender isn’t a destination. It’s a daily journey. It’s choosing trust over control, one small decision at a time. It’s saying “yes” to God’s will even when we can’t see the whole staircase.

The beautiful thing about surrender is that it gets easier with practice. Each time we release something to God and watch Him handle it with more grace than we ever could, our trust grows a little deeper.

Your Turn to Let Go

Sweet friend, what is God asking you to surrender today? Maybe it’s not an international move or a major life decision. It may be the small, everyday worries that steal your peace. Maybe it’s the dream you’re holding so tightly that you can’t see God’s better plan.

Whatever it is, know that you’re not alone in this. We’re all learning to live with open hands, trusting that what God has for us is infinitely better than what we’re afraid to lose.

Surrender isn’t about becoming passive or giving up on our dreams. It’s about aligning our hearts with the heart of God, knowing that His plans are always rooted in love.

As you go about your day, remember that every small act of surrender is an act of worship. Every moment you choose trust over control, you’re declaring that God is good and His ways are perfect.

What’s one thing you can surrender to God today? I’d love to hear about your journey of letting go in the comments below. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is share our struggles and victories with others who are walking the same path.

Let’s choose surrender together, one grace-filled moment at a time.

With love,

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More On Faith:

How To Ground Yourself Spiritually During Big Life Changes

How To Keep Your Faith Strong During A Busy Season

10 Simple Habits That Keep My Faith, Home, And Schedule Anchored

50 Best Bible Verses For Anxiety And Overthinking

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