Devotion

Surrender is not passivity. Jesus did not surrender in resignation but in honesty and love. He expressed His true desire—that the cup be taken—but then yielded that desire to God's greater wisdom. This is the paradox: genuine surrender requires genuine expression of what you want. You cannot truly surrender what you have not acknowledged. Jesus was fully human in that garden, desiring life, fearing death. And in the midst of that very human reality, He surrendered to God's will. This is the height of strength. The Stoics taught something similar: express your judgment, then accept reality. Surrender is not about not having preferences; it's about holding your preferences with open hands, ready to release them when God's way is different.