The Solution to Life’s Problems

The only escape from the mass confusion and turmoil that saturates this world is to lay down our self-will and personal ideas in complete humility and resign to the One who created us. When we unconditionally surrender ourselves and commit the rest of our life to God’s will, the benefits we reap shall exceed our greatest hopes.

One can compare life to a vast maze. There are scores of appealing passages and much controversy over which way is best. Our view is dangerously limited, and of ourselves, we will lose the way. Only God can see the big picture and knows where each passage leads. Only with His help will we reach the desired location.

Despite this remedy, folks are still dissatisfied, for unconditional surrender is indeed a frightening thought. I also want to clarify that total submission will not immediately solve all our problems. This will likely be a long process that may take years to complete. But are humility and surrender to God’s will not the keys to starting that process?

One day when U-Haul’s area field manager came into the bike shop and U-Haul dealership where I worked, he said, “Hello Marcus, I have something for your next book.”

As I pulled out my notebook, he continued, “Your most gratifying rewards are hiding behind your maximum fears.”

He said, “A friend of mine, who is a motivational speaker, told me that one. He liked to illustrate how first-time skydivers often fight a lot of fear before their first jump. But afterward, the experience is so gratifying they wonder why they ever feared it.”

You know, friend, that describes the experience of committing your life to God’s will. Dr. Dennis Swanberg wrote, “Everybody resists God at one time or another, and so will you. But as you mature, you should realize that when it comes to God’s instructions, it’s better to be teachable than headstrong.”[i]

Have you surrendered every part of your life to God’s will? If not, what do you hope to gain by not surrendering?

Satan will do everything he can to keep us from surrendering. One of his methods is to convince folks that God does not care about them. The Bible plainly states that God loves us, so if we believe God does not love us, we do not believe God and the Bible. One will not submit to a God they do not trust. Fear keeps us from trusting and surrendering, but “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The more we understand God’s love for us, the easier it will be to yield to Him.

Surrendering to God is not something to test a little to see if it works—it is a life commitment. If we attempt to get in God’s will only temporarily to see if we like it, our commitment is not unconditional; thus, it will not yield the desired results.

Since my unconditional surrender, I have noted that pride and selfishness, immorality, the craving for money, the desire for that trophy buck, etc. are indeed very foolish. It is through Satan’s blinding that humanity can lower itself to such base pursuits. Scripture acknowledges, “He (Satan) has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them” (John 12:40).

Oh, if people caught up in these sensual activities could only see their sheer foolishness and ignorance.

Ultimately, pursuing the truth will be our most gratifying line of action. Wealth and living for self do not bring people peace. On the contrary, these have been the principal players behind most strife and severed relationships. Only God’s smile on our life can grant us that inner fulfillment we crave. With this, the poorest individual can be content. Without it, even the famed celebrity must be (at least inwardly) restless and apprehensive.

In The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer mentions, “The sinner prides himself on his independence, completely overlooking the fact that he is the weak slave of the sins that rule his member. The man who surrenders to Christ exchanges a cruel slave driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.”[ii]

Ravi Zacharias wrote, “Dear friend, may you know today that the freedom to have peace without begins with the freedom from evil within.”[iii]

When we surrender to God, acquire His forgiveness, and pursue what He asks of us, we shall feel like we are on a team with Him. The supreme sense of security we shall experience, when we submit ourselves to God’s principles, will surpass all our expectations.

Being a Christian includes building an intimate connection with God and functioning as His personal associate and representative on Earth. What a privilege! How exciting to be communicating with, and working for, the creator of the universe! My heart goes out to those fleeing from the very Source of the inner security and peace of mind they so crave. These people are, so to speak, ramming themselves into cactus after cactus with their self-centered living, all the while wondering why they aren’t happier than they are beings they are freely doing whatever they want.

We do best to accept responsibility for our problems and realize that our pride and self-will are our worst enemies.

When we discover we are going in the wrong direction, turning around is the smartest way to our destination. C. S. Lewis said, “There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.”[iv]

I well remember when I initially took this step. My ego dreaded being humiliated, and Satan reminded me that he thought it was a cowardly thing to do. It was not easy to swallow my pride and ignore Satan’s opinion, but the resulting unspeakable joy was definitely worth the effort. “For He (God) satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things” (Psalms 107:9).

[i] Dr. Dennis Swanberg  & Ron Smith, The Man Code (p.16). Worthy Publishers, 2009.

[ii] A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God. (p. 78). Grapevine, 2022 (First published in 1948).

[iii] Ravi Zacharias, The Logic of God, (p. 280). Zondervan, 2019.

[iv] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (p. 29). HarperOne, 2009 (First published in 1952).

(This article is an excerpt from Chapter 9 of my book The Contentment Dilemma. Feel free to pick up a copy and read the rest of the book if you have found this excerpt of any interest or personal aid.)