As I wrote yesterday, many people have the misconception that surrender, even spiritual surrender, is a form of weakness and cowardice. Nothing could be further from the truth! Only a spiritual warrior can choose to surrender themselves over to the care of God; indeed, such surrender takes great courage. I say this because the decision to align oneself with God’s truth, beauty, and goodness also implies the willingness to move away from one’s karmic compulsions, habitual addictions, and easy alliances. Particularly in today’s culture, the choice to surrender to God often implies swimming against the tide of social pressure. In addition, spiritual surrender is the ultimate act of taking responsibility for one’s life. It is much easier to simply go with the flow of the individual and/or collective ego. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to risk being ostracized by her community, even death, in order to give birth to Jesus. Arjuna had to let go of his egoic inclinations in order to yield to his soul’s dharma. And Jesus had to resist the impulse to merge with everyone’s expectations of him in order to give himself over to his God-inspired mission. No, this kind of surrender is not for the faint of heart but for the brave.
Divine Beloved,
When I lack the courage
To surrender completely,
Help me.
