The Call To Surrender: What It Really Means to Follow Jesus

The Call to Surrender: What It Really Means to Follow Jesus
There's a weight to certain moments in life—times when we sense God stirring something deep within us, calling us back to what matters most. Perhaps you feel it too: a longing for something more authentic in your walk with faith, a desire to move beyond spiritual routine into genuine intimacy with the living God.
The truth is, many of us find ourselves in a place where our relationship with God isn't what it once was. Life got full. Priorities shifted. And without ever intending to rebel, we slowly replaced surrender with self-rule. We didn't stop believing the right things or even stop following Jesus in name, but somewhere along the way, self quietly took the throne.
The Heart of the Problem
When self sits on the throne of our lives, abiding in Christ becomes impossible—not because Jesus is distant, but because our allegiance has shifted. This is why restoration doesn't begin with better focus, lighter schedules, or stronger motivation. It's not about turning over a new leaf. The true problem isn't just our distraction or even our direction; it's that self has become central. We have become the king of our own lives.
Jesus understood this perfectly. That's why He didn't begin His call to discipleship by telling people to try harder or manage their distractions better. Instead, He went straight to the heart of the issue—the throne of our lives. Before He spoke of life, He spoke of death to self. Before He called people to follow Him, He called them to surrender.
The Radical Words of Jesus
In Luke 9:23, Jesus delivered words that should stop us in our tracks: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."
These weren't casual words spoken at the height of excitement or after an emotional worship service. Jesus delivered this message in the shadow of the cross, just days after Peter confessed Him as the Messiah. Immediately after that confession, Jesus began speaking openly about His suffering, rejection, and death. Then, without softening the moment, He turned to everyone listening and made it clear: following Him is not about admiration or agreement. It is about surrender.
Denying Self: More Than Discipline
When Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, He's not calling us to self-denial in the traditional sense—giving up a few comforts or living a more disciplined life. That kind of self-denial still leaves self in charge. It's self choosing to deny self, which means self never actually leaves the throne.
Jesus is calling for something far deeper. It's not just saying no to things; it's saying no to self as the ruling authority of our lives. It's the decision to daily step down from the throne and acknowledge that Jesus alone has the right to rule. This command isn't about changing our behavior—it's about who reigns.
John the Baptist understood this perfectly. When his disciples complained that Jesus' ministry was growing while John's was fading, his response defined true self-denial: "He must increase, but I must decrease." The call to deny self is the call to yield—to yield our way, our will, our desires, and allow God to guide and direct our lives. This is where restoration begins.
Taking Up the Cross: The Cost of Discipleship
To Jesus' original audience, the command to "take up their cross daily" would have landed with terrifying force. The cross wasn't jewelry or a metaphor for inconvenience—it was a sentence of suffering, shame, and death. Romans forced condemned criminals to carry their own crossbeam to the site of crucifixion. Carrying a cross meant one thing: you were on a death march, a public admission that your life was over.
Jesus' call to carry our cross is a call to absolute surrender and obedience, holding nothing back. Taking up our cross daily means choosing faithfulness to Jesus even when it costs us. It means:

• Dying to the world's approval and living for an audience of One
• Dying to personal ambition when it conflicts with God's mission
• Dying to the idea that our life is our own, because we've been bought with a price
• Praying like Jesus in Gethsemane: "Not my will, but Your will be done"

There's a powerful historical illustration that captures this commitment. In 1519, Spanish commander Hernan Cortes landed with his men on the shores of Mexico. Knowing that fear, doubt, and the temptation to retreat would undermine the mission, Cortez gave a shocking command: burn the ships. By destroying their only means of escape, he made one thing clear—there was no going back. Victory or death were the only options.
This is what taking up the cross looks like. It removes the option of retreat. There is no return to life with self on the throne. You cannot say Jesus is Lord while keeping an exit strategy. Lords are not advisors. Kings do not share their throne. And crosses are not carried with conditions.
Following Jesus: The Daily Walk
The final part of Jesus' call is to follow Him. In Jesus' day, disciples would literally walk behind their rabbi, learning from him and imitating him. Today, we follow Jesus by trusting Him and doing what He says, revealed through His Word and confirmed by His Spirit.
Following Jesus means He takes priority over everything else—always. It's not a one-time decision but a daily walk. We go where He goes, through every season, including suffering and hardship. The key is remembering that He is with us, empowering, comforting, convicting, and equipping us not just to endure life but to experience joy in the midst of it.
Where Restoration Begins
These three elements—denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus—aren't separate commands. They're one call to surrender. You cannot have one without the other two. Together, they make up what it means to yield our life to Him as Lord and King.
Restoration doesn't come when life gets easier; it comes when Christ becomes central again. Yield always comes before restore. It's not that we need a new relationship with God—we need our relationship with Him restored. He hasn't moved; we have.
So the question becomes: What area of your life have you been sitting on the throne? Is it a relationship, a habit, a sin, a fear, or a plan you've mapped out that differs from God's plan? Perhaps it's something you know He's called you to do, but you've been putting it off.
Following Jesus always moves from intention to action. It's more than good intentions—it's about taking that step of obedience, even when it feels costly. Because ultimately, what we gain in knowing Him far outweighs anything we might surrender.
The call to discipleship is radical, costly, and uncompromising. But it's also the path to true life, authentic joy, and intimate relationship with the God who relentlessly pursues us. The throne of your heart has room for only one King. The question is: who will it be?