Should we surrender to God's will?

This question is really profound. It touches upon the mystery of human suffering as well as the mystery of divine providence and the ability of human agents seemingly to “persuade” God to work miracles in our lives. So we need to tread reverently here, but there are some things we can say that may be helpful to you in your journey.

First, we do know that union with God is the goal of prayer. One way of looking at it is that we are trying to unite our wills with God’s will. We want to love what He loves, and to want what He wants. That can be easier said than done, as we tend to see things through our limited, fallen human perspective (cf. Is. 55:8-9). We proudly assert our wills as though we know what’s truly best in a given situation, and we stubbornly cling to our worldly attachments. So when we talk about “surrender” in the spiritual life, it’s about letting go of our attachments, desires, objectives, etc. to the extent they are not in conformity with God’s holy and perfect will for us, because we want to be wholly united with Him.

Part of the issue here is one of language and usage—usually we use the word “surrender” in the context of defeat. Paradoxically, our “surrender” to God in this context results in total victory for us, beyond what we can even imagine! (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9).

That still leaves the question of praying for a miracle, perhaps a physical healing from cancer as you suggest. It may be part of God’s providential love to heal this person as the result of your persistent prayer. It may also be part of God’s providential love to effect some greater good through this person’s illness or suffering (cf. Rom. 8:28). God generally does not work miracles for their own sake, but as a sign of some greater spiritual healing (cf. Lk. 5:23-26). Again, we tend to view things from a predominantly “this world” perspective, whereas God’s master plan is infinitely more comprehensive, encompassing all people for all eternity. He knows what He’s doing, even when we or our loved ones need to suffer for a time.

The question for us is: Are we going to surrender to God’s plan for each of us individually and for the world, or are we going to continue to rebel against it? This is a perennial challenge for all of us.

Courtesy of Leon Suprenant