Do you want to know what has convicted me lately? Even if we surrendered every single aspect of our lives to Christ, it would still only be the very least we could do for Him.

Hear me out.

Do you surrender every aspect of your life to Christ? If you’re being honest, the answer is no. Because if I’m being honest, or if the believer down the street is being honest, the answer is going to be “no.” I’m not even sure it’s possible in this life to live in complete, unwavering surrender — though we should still long for it.

Every day we’re bombarded by our own flesh. Temptation whispers. Doubt creeps in. We fear the unknown, spiral over tomorrow’s troubles, and let finances, singleness, unfulfilling work, or strained relationships steal our peace. We cling to our plans, our timetables, our dreams. When we pause and examine our hearts — the thoughts we entertain, the steps we take — so much of it is not really surrendered at all. So much of it is still self-directed, not Christ-directed. Life feels vexing not simply because it’s hard, but because it refuses to bend to our will, and we don’t like it.

This isn’t outright rebellion all the time, but it is misguided thinking. Consider what the Psalmist cried out: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).

How many of us can truly say this is what we think on an ordinary Tuesday? On the bad days, when God feels distant and answers seem scarce, is He what we truly yearn for? Conversely, how often do we deeply long more for what we don’t yet have, the breakthrough we’re still waiting on, or the comforts we crave than for the God we already have?

Pause with me and hear the Apostle Paul’s urgent message in Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”

Dear reader, what makes the Christian different is not that we have life all figured out. It’s not that we get everything we could ever desire. It’s not that our troubles vanish and our lives become effortless. On the contrary, the Christian life is often far more strenuous than unbelievers because, unlike the world, we’re called to actively flee from its temptations and vices. We break the mold and swim against the current. We serve and love and obey a God the world hates. And as a result, it hates us too.

Believers in Nigeria wonder if they’ll wake up in the morning. In China, underground churches and smuggled Bibles carry the risk of imprisonment or worse. Even here, stateside, many of us shrink back, afraid to speak up at work, in class, or online lest our reputation, relationships, or opportunities suffer. Every time fear wins, we withhold part of ourselves from the altar. But when we choose faith over fear, something beautiful happens: that surrendered peace is met by the mercy, grace, and perfect love of our Father.

So I’ll ask again: Are you surrendering every aspect of your life to Christ?

The honest answer may still likely be “no.” But what if we let that question chase us? What small step of obedience can you take today? What fear, comfort, or dream are you still clutching that belongs at the foot of the cross? Because here’s the wonder that undoes me: Christ gave everything — for us. When our debt was mounting, Christ paid it all. He, the innocent, left heaven and took on the death sentence. Then we, the ones who are truly guilty, were acquitted.

In Gethsemane, Jesus understood the mockery, the scourging, and the cross were on the horizon. And yet, He still prayed, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” That is the greatest humility. The greatest surrender. The greatest love. And He did it all for what? For whom? For you and I, dear reader. Rebellious, broken, lost, helpless sinners.

How do we respond? Not with complaints about what we lack, but with open hands and yielded hearts. We present ourselves as living sacrifices — not because it earns His love, but because it is the only right response to it. Surrendering our entire lives to Christ is the least we could do. And even if any of us could say we do this, it still wouldn’t be enough. Nothing we could ever do would ever be enough. We could never deserve His grace. We could never repay it. Yet Christ, in full submission to the Father’s will, made the way possible. This is exactly what makes this free gift of salvation so astonishing.

Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive?” Christ is the one who paved the path to glory. All He asks is that we live for Him. And we don’t have to manufacture perfect surrender in our own strength. We simply bring our honest “not yet,” our weakness, our wandering hearts, and ask Him to do what only He can help us do: Repent. Believe. Obey. Trust. Then — step by step, day by day — the Spirit radically transforms us.

So, what are you willing to give up for Him? My prayer, for all of us who proclaim His name, is that we will never be satisfied until we can confidently cry out: everything!