The Surrender Pose

I would guess that most Christians who sing worship songs at church (that is, songs of loyalty to the One we deem worthy of adoration) have "yielded their lives" to Jesus.  What I mean is most Christians would acknowledge that they desire to live lives surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.  Let me try again...Christians, even by definition, claim to receive their identity through their identification with Christ.  

What I'm trying to say is that a true Christian is a person under authority.  And when we sing at church, we express that loyalty.  

Recently at worship in our church I encouraged those in attendance to experiment with physicality...that is expressing their "invisible" surrender outwardly. I encouraged them to raise either one hand, or both hands, in an outward expression of "I surrender."  Isn't that why Christians raise their hands in church worship? They're saying either of two things, "I surrender" or, "I know that I ought to surrender, and so I'm raising my hands in an honest attempt to become a surrendered person."  

Raising hands doesn't have to be emotional, or mystical, or anything that feels weird. It can be the same as standing up instead of sitting. Our posture, or physicality, can help us express to God, and to ourselves, that we desire to be surrendered.  

What's the opposite of surrender? The raised fist of resistance.  I've never seen that done in church. But perhaps it happens in our hearts every time we attempt to deal with the things life throws at us, or the bad habits we struggle with on our own.  The raised fist is the enemy of intimacy with God.

So give it a try next time you're singing praise songs to your Savior. Raise a hand or two in surrender. This exercise in physicality may be the impetus for you to discover a new depth in your relationship with God.