Learning the Power of Humility

by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan

Surrender. It’s a word that I once equated with giving up, letting go, or forfeiting control. But I’ve come to realize that surrender, when done God’s way, is not about losing—it’s about gaining.

During my study of Proverbs 22:4, I isolated the verse in three different translations:

📖 NIV: “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”

📖 TPT: “Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward.”

📖 The Message: “The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God is plenty and honor and a satisfying life.”

What stood out to me in this study was the phrase “tender surrender.”

What Does Tender Surrender Mean?

I journaled this question: What does tender surrender mean?

To surrender is to yield. To give up control. To lay something down in trust. But tender surrender speaks of something deeper—a surrender that isn’t forced, but offered willingly. It is a gentle, yet firm commitment to allowing God’s hands to shape me into His vision for my life.

This surrender is not passive. It is not an idle waiting for change to magically happen. Instead, it is an active participation in God’s refining process—choosing each day to lay down my desires, my pride, and my fears at His feet.

What Does Humility Mean?

To fully grasp surrender, I had to wrestle with another word: humility.

🔹 Meekness – The ability to be gentle and restrained in strength.
🔹 Modesty – Living without prideful self-importance.
🔹 Submission – The ultimate commitment to God’s authority and will.

But humility is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is having the power to assert oneself yet choosing instead to trust God’s ways over our own.

That’s when I prayed:
Lord, show me what humility should look like, feel like, and function as in my life.

The Meek Will Inherit the Earth – How Do We Participate in Humility?

Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

But how do we engage in humility? How do we live in the fear of the Lord in a way that produces the reward of life, prosperity, and honor that Proverbs 22:4 speaks about?

Here are a few truths I’m learning:

1️⃣ Humility is an invitation, not an imposition.

• God does not force surrender; He invites us to it. It is our choice to offer up our will and desires to Him.

2️⃣ True humility recognizes that we are not the source of our own success.

• Everything I have, every breath I take, every opportunity I receive—they are gifts from the Lord. Humility acknowledges God’s hand in everything.

3️⃣ Surrender is a process, not a one-time event.

• God renews my mind daily. I must be patient with myself and His process, knowing that He is transforming me into His version of my life.

4️⃣ Fearing the Lord means revering Him above all else.

• The fear of the Lord is not about being terrified of Him; it is about living with reverence, awe, and full dependence on His wisdom.

5️⃣ The rewards of humility are spiritual first, physical second.

• The riches, honor, and life that Proverbs 22:4 promises start in the spirit. A heart surrendered to God will eventually overflow into every area of life.

Word of Knowledge

Someone right now has debated all day whether to walk out of his marriage. Please, take a moment in tender surrender and give the Almighty Jesus your marriage and your emotions about it. Surrendering your marriage does not mean walking away; it means giving God full control over its survival and restoration.

💡 In order to surrender your marriage, you must ABIDE in Jesus, loving your spouse as Christ loves the Church. 💡

📖 John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.”

Abide, young man, and the VINE and the VINE DRESSER will take care of you and of your wife. Not giving up on your marriage today is what humility looks like!

What’s Next?

I am learning to live in tender surrender. I am learning to trust the slow, refining process of humility. I am learning that true strength is not in asserting my own way, but in yielding to God’s plan.

So I ask you the same question I have been asking myself:

💭 What does humility look like in your life?
💭 Where is God calling you to surrender?

A Prayer for Surrender

Father, I offer You my surrender—not begrudgingly, but willingly. Teach me what it means to walk in true humility. Shape my heart to reflect Your will. Let my life be a testimony of Your faithfulness, as I trust You fully in the process of renewal and transformation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hashtags

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