by Dr. GEORGE KALARAS
The attributes of spiritual surrender in the Christian faith includes a number of qualities of experience such as fully giving oneself to God, self-denial, and abiding in Christ. A central aspect of spiritual surrender is certainly one of willingness, the willingness of self-giving rather than the willfulness of living for self-centered desires. “As one surrenders spiritually, that willingness reflects an increasing acceptance of the truth about the limitations of human power and control and a growing recognition of reality regarding the ultimate source of power.” An example of this is a conversation between the Apostle Peter and Jesus when, after Peter and the disciples struggled to accept what he was teaching, Jesus asks Peter if he will also leave Him and Peter replies “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”(John 6:68)
Spiritual surrender is demonstrated by the Apostle Paul’s declaration “for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Phil. 4:11) Both of these passages also imply that surrender is a learned response to God and that living a life of self-giving will require a reorganization of one’s values and priorities. As the Foundation of these two examples of spiritual surrender, Jesus identifies himself as the source of power and the agent of change when He tells His disciples “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) To sum it up, “God is the source of spiritual surrender. In order to spiritually surrender, one must come to the end of self, recognizing that nothing can be done without Christ, and only then will one be in the position to take an efficacious step toward growth.”
Although this is the core of what is taught at TLC, the leadership must bear witness to this first in their own lives before teaching/preaching to the men.
Dyslin, W. C. (2008). The Power of Powerlessness: The Role of Spiritual Surrender and Interpersonal Confession in the Treatment of Addictions. Journal of Psychology and Christianity.