Why Surrendering to God Is Harder Than We Think

We talk about surrender like it’s a single, bold decision: “I give this to God.” Done. 

But, I’m not sure it’s that simple or that easy. 

I think this is why so many of us get stuck. We sing or make a declaration, “I surrender all,” and we mean every word. But when the emotion of the moment fades and we step back into everyday life, questions begin to rise: Is that all God is asking of me? Did anything actually change inside me? Have I truly surrendered?

Maybe it’s because we’re expecting to leap to full surrender with a simple one time prayer or declaration without the part that requires us, alone with God, to work it through. To acknowledge the pain, the insecurity and the fear we feel about what we need to surrender. 

It’s often assumed that if you’re full of faith, you’ll release things to God without hesitation, as if surrender is supposed to be seamless. 

But true surrender often comes through wrestling, not ease.

I think, true surrender isn’t just about the thing we’re holding onto either but about the feelings it evokes in us that we’re too afraid to face and to let God touch? 

We say we want to control less and surrender more, But to do that, we have to go back to the reasons we reached for control in the first place. We need to let God touch the parts of us that are holding us captive in fear. 

You want to surrender your next career move to God, but when change comes, fear of not being provided for takes over.

You want to trust God with your kids, yet fear and guilt come when they make risky choices.

You surrender your calling, but insecurity and fear of rejection hold you back.

Those parts of us, we must allow God to enter, not just the surface struggles, but the inner wounds. Without healing in those places, surrender will feel impossible.

God never asks us to surrender in our own strength. He meets us in our weakness, he holds us when we are scared. As Psalm 34:18 reminds us,

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Surrender is not a finish line or a moment, it’s a process. It takes time. 

If it feels hard right now, honor the courage it takes to open your heart to God in those places. That courageous step is often where transformation begins.

If you’d like a gentle way to explore this further, you can download a short devotional below designed to help you slow down, reflect, and invite God into the places where trust feels hardest.