At some point in your life, you may have heard, or even sung, the popular Christian hymn “I Surrender All.” Christians around the world have sung this inspirational song for years. You may not know, but an American public school teacher turned evangelist by the name of Judson Van DeVenter, wrote the words to this hymn. Music was added to the words and published in 1896. I found the story of how he came to write the hymn fascinating.
His story isn’t all that unusual since it reflects a common Christian struggle. Yielding our life to God is never easy and often plagued by uncertainty. Van DeVenter’s interest in art was only partly satisfied by teaching, and his persistent desire to develop his artistic talents fueled restlessness within him. In addition to that, he wrestled with another tension in his life. Already recognized as a dedicated churchman, Van DeVenter grappled with the idea of entering full-time Christian service. Then it happened! The gentle but persistent urging of the Holy Spirit won him over, and he gave in to Christ’s call on his life.
It was only after reflecting on what happened to him and the subsequent decision he made that the words to the hymn came to him. The Lord opened for him a new vision for life, and he went on to write more than sixty hymns. The decision to surrender his life to the Will of God opened the door to discovering gifts and talents that he didn’t realize he had. As a result, he was able to say with the Apostle Paul “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
The part of the story that captured my attention was not that Van DeVenter became a full-time Christian evangelist, although that was a great outcome. The joy that came to him after his decision to surrender his life to Christ caught my attention. The Spirit guided him toward embracing God’s plan for his life. Van DeVenter was already a faithful Christian, but the uneasiness he felt was, in reality, the Holy Spirit. This was the next step in the process of surrendering his life to Christ.
The words of the song came to him as he reflected on the changes that took place in his life after he submitted himself to God’s plan. His words expressed the great joy he felt as a result of his surrender. Van DeVenter came to see that the life God planned for him was far better than anything he could imagine on his own. It was then that he could say, “All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him and in His presence daily live.”
Just to be clear, I am not saying it is God’s plan for every believer to follow Van DeVenter’s decision to become an evangelist, to formally enter full-time Christian ministry, or to sign up as a foreign missionary. It is in God’s plan that all creation would be drawn to Him. It is God’s plan for each of us to know how special we are in His eyes and the undying love He has for each of us. More specifically, the Lord wants us to know that He created us with a specific plan and purpose for our life.
Once Van DeVenter set aside his fleshly interests and embraced the life the Lord planned for him, great joy entered his life. The words to the song express his awareness that abundant life only comes with the desire to love and serve the living Lord. It is a life-changing realization to know, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:15-16 ESV).
Like Van DeVenter, God established a plan for each of us before the foundation of the world. There are many places in scripture where God reveals His plan for individuals. Take the prophet Jeremiah for example. “Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 ESV). Later the Lord said to him, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV). The Lord does speak to us!
Many things distract us from hearing Christ calling us to Himself, and we find many fleshly reasons for not fully responding to His call. To carry through with a decision to surrender all requires a leap of faith and a power greater than our own. “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24 ESV). Van DeVenter’s story is an encouragement for us. He would say with Paul, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)!
God has a purpose and a plan for your life and mine. He already provided us with unique gifts and talents to carry out the mission He set before us. Van De Venter’s story and his hymn can inspire us to surrender ourselves to the Lord. It offers the hope that one day we can sing, “All to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow. Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now” and mean it.