We all feel the tug between surrender and self-preservation. One moment we’re raising our hands in worship, ready to follow Jesus anywhere; the next, we’re clutching tightly to our plans, our comfort, our image. It’s subtle, but it runs deep; the quiet desire to keep control while still saying, “Jesus, have Your way.”

Paul writes in Colossians 3, “You have been raised with Christ… set your hearts on things above.” He reminds us that our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. Hidden; not lost or diminished, but safely held. To live surrendered is to trust that being hidden in Him is the truest form of freedom.

John the Baptist understood what it meant to step aside. When his followers noticed Jesus gaining attention, they expected him to compete. But John’s joy was different. “The friend of the bridegroom waits and listens for Him,” he said, “and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.” Then came his quiet confession, the heartbeat of discipleship: He must increase, and I must decrease.

Those words point us toward the centre of life with God. When Jesus becomes our focus, we stop needing to prove ourselves. The striving slows. Our souls start to breathe again.

Think about it. What parts of your life still feel centred on your own effort? Where are you trying to make things happen on your timeline, in your strength?

Surrender is not passive. It is active trust. It is laying down anger when it flares, forgiving when it stings, choosing humility when pride feels safer. Each act of surrender is a quiet revolution in the heart; an opening for Jesus to live through us.

Paul gives another image, one that fits the everyday rhythm of life. He tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are the qualities that begin to grow in us when we live from our new identity in Christ. They show the shape of a heart being renewed by His presence.

The Holy Spirit helps us live this way. He does not take away the work of surrender; He joins us in it. He shows us what needs to die so that something alive and lasting can grow.

Maybe today is an invitation to pause and notice where Jesus is asking for more room in your life, where His voice is quietly saying, “Let Me lead here.” When we open even a little space for Him, His presence begins to reshape us. We start to see with clearer eyes, love with softer hearts, and live with a steadier peace.

This is where surrender becomes joy, where Jesus increases, and our lives find their truest rhythm in Him.