Our role model had his agony in the garden. Sure, I would like to follow his example. And intellectually that seems doable. But how difficult it can be when the body, the flesh seems to have its own opinion. I imagine if I were in the garden with Jesus I'd probably be throwing up and fainting.
So much is out of our control or influence and we really have no other choice but to accept, surrender. For those who can fully surrender to God's will as it unfolds in our lives there is great peace. But for me it is a struggle. I see that the older I get. When I was younger I was fooling myself. It is easy to surrender and be at peace when everything seems seems to be going well for you. That is why the Psalms have become more meaningful for me as I age. Now I get it.
The wonderful thing is, though, that even our surrender, God makes possible. He doesn't leave it up to us to be the linchpin of our success in walking with Him. We are too weak, too selfish, to be able to surrender to Him as we ought by ourselves.
We all harden, over time, into ways of living and thinking. We see this in life and in Scripture, too. The longer one lives not in surrender to God, the harder it is to begin to do so. But God is greater than the habits of life we form; He can undo all our bad habits and shape in us new, Christ-centered ones.
The apostle Paul explained how God deals with us as His children: We work out what God has first worked into us.
Philippians 2:12-13
12 ...work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
These two verses go hand-in-glove, the command of the former (vs. 12) arising out of promise of the latter (vs. 13).
This is as true in the matter of surrender to God as it is in any other dimension of our walk with Him. We are able to work out a life of surrender to God because He has first worked the desire and ability for such a life into us (in the Person of the Holy Spirit -
Romans 8:9-10; Ephesians 3:16; Titus 3:5-8). We can, then, always surrender to God because His Spirit within us makes it possible to do so. Of course, the Spirit not only brings us to a place of surrender, but transforms our desires and moves us into a holy life as we remain surrendered to Him. Just as in our salvation, we are brought on into a deeper communion with God by His transformation of us, not by our flawed, human efforts.
Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 ...our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.