Receiving vs. Surrendering: The Key to Experiencing Christ’s Life
📖 “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” —John 7:37-38
Many believers spend their Christian lives asking God for what He has already given them. They plead for peace, strength, or more of the Holy Spirit’s power, thinking that these are external resources to be received again and again. Yet, Scripture reveals that everything we need is already ours in Christ—we are not waiting to receive but learning to surrender to what has already been given.
The difference between receiving and surrendering is the difference between thinking we lack something and realizing we are already complete in Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, and His rivers of living water are not something we must obtain but something we must yield to.
1. The Misconception: Seeking to Receive What We Already Have
Many believers approach God as if they are lacking something. They pray for more love, more peace, more strength, more holiness—yet the Word tells us that these are already provided in Christ:
📖 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” —2 Peter 1:3
God is not withholding anything from us. His divine power has already given us everything we need. The problem is not a lack of provision but a lack of surrender to what is already ours.
Paul emphasizes this truth again:
📖 “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” —Colossians 2:10
We do not need to receive what we already possess—we need to let go of self-effort and allow Christ’s fullness to manifest in us.
2. The Call to Surrender, Not to Strive
The Christian life is not a striving to obtain but a surrender to what is already given. When Jesus spoke of rivers of living water, He was referring to the indwelling Holy Spirit:
📖 “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” —John 7:39
The Spirit is not given in portions; He is given fully at salvation. The issue is never about needing "more" of the Spirit but about surrendering more fully to His already indwelling presence.
Paul affirms this when he tells us to walk by the Spirit:
📖 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” —Galatians 5:16
We are not called to receive the Spirit repeatedly but to yield to His leading. The Holy Spirit’s presence is constant, and the rivers of living water are ever-flowing—our role is simply to cease from self-effort and allow Him to flow unhindered.
3. Receiving vs. Surrendering: A Biblical Example
A clear picture of this distinction is seen in Israel’s crossing of the Jordan River.
When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God told them:
📖 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” —Joshua 1:3
The land was already theirs—yet they had to step forward in faith. The river did not part until they surrendered their fears and stepped in (Joshua 3:13-17).
This illustrates our walk in Christ:
The Promised Land was already given, just as we are already complete in Christ.
They did not need to ask for the land, just as we do not need to ask for what Christ has already provided.
They had to step forward in faith, just as we must yield in surrender to what is already ours.
4. The Source Is Within, Not External
Jesus’ words in John 7:38 reveal a crucial truth:
📖 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The source is not external—the rivers flow from within. This means:
We do not need to ask for the Holy Spirit to come to us—He is already in us.
We do not need to seek peace, joy, or strength externally—they are already available in Christ within us.
Paul reinforces this:
📖 “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” —Colossians 1:27
The Christian life is not a transaction of receiving but a transformation through surrender.
5. What Does Surrender Look Like?
Surrender is not passivity—it is the active yielding of self-effort so that Christ’s life can flow. This involves:
Ceasing from striving – Recognizing that sanctification is not about self-improvement but about yielding to Christ’s life (Galatians 2:20).
Trusting in His sufficiency – Believing that Christ is our peace, strength, and wisdom rather than asking for those qualities separately (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Moment-by-moment dependence – Instead of seeking repeated “fillings,” abiding in the reality that the Spirit’s life is already at work (John 15:4-5).
A Simple Analogy: A Flowing River
Imagine a river that is constantly flowing. A person standing by the river with an empty cup may cry out, “Lord, give me water!” But the river is right in front of them, already flowing abundantly. Their need is not to receive more water—it is to simply lower the cup and drink.
Likewise, believers often cry out for what has already been provided. Instead of pleading for more peace, more power, or more of God’s presence, we are to yield to what is already available.
Conclusion: Resting in What Is Already Ours
Many believers live as if they are waiting for something more from God, when in reality, He has already given us everything in Christ. The issue is not about receiving something new but about surrendering to what is already within.
📖 “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” —Philippians 2:13
We are not striving to receive—we are yielding to His work in us.
The Christian life is not about achieving but abiding, not about striving but surrendering, not about asking but trusting.
Rather than praying, “Lord, give me more of You,” let us say, “Lord, I yield to You who already dwell within me.”
A Prayer of Trust and Surrender
Father, I thank You that in Christ, I already have everything I need for life and godliness. You have not withheld anything from me, and Your Spirit dwells within me as rivers of living water. I rest in the reality of Your indwelling presence, yielding to Your life within me. I cease from striving, knowing that You have already provided all that I need. May Your life flow freely through me today. Amen.
📷 Photo Credit: Unsplash
📖 Devotional Credit: Abide Above