This Chapel at Northwestern segment features Matt Hill, vice president of student life and athletics at Northwestern College.
Although it sounds like an oxymoron, Matt explains that surrender is victory.
Many times when we think about surrender we think about a white flag, a point of giving up. Rather we should think of surrender as release or bowing at the knees of Christ. Instead of giving up in despair surrender is stepping into freedom.
“Most people think of surrender as giving up…but when you surrender in Christ you’re victorious.”
Matt contrasts our typical picture of surrender that is associated with war or law enforcement with a different view. In our typical picture we see tired troops hoisting a white flag in a final despair. Instead, Matt gives the analogy of jumping in a swimming pool. We surrender to the water, knowing the buoyancy of the water will engulf our jump.
True surrender involves molding our wills to God’s and making our desires his desires. It’s not easy and involves several elements.
- Changing what we treasure. According to Matt whatever we treasure, we will surrender to. If we treasure things we are surrendering to them. If we treasure a relationship above God we are surrendering to it.
- Learning to surrender daily. Each morning when we get up we should pray and tell God that not our wills but his be done that day. If we don’t surrender each day we will try to control the day.
- Seeing that surrender is victory. When we surrender we are surrendering to Christ. In him is freedom, and freedom is victory.
Key Scripture: Matthew 26:39, John 12:27, Matthew 6:19-21, Mark 10:17-22, Mark 8:34
Chapel at Northwestern – Matt Hill
The University of Northwestern is a Christ-centered liberal arts university, founded in 1902, and located in St. Paul, Minn. that works closely with Northwestern Media.
