Reverend Marco Ste-Marie

FREEDOM THROUGH SURRENDER – LETTING GO OF GRIEVANCES

Complaining never sets you free — but surrender does.

When we don’t get our way, we grumble. We complain. It’s our way of clinging to control. We think that if we can voice our frustration loud enough, maybe the situation will bend to our will. But complaining never frees anyone.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. They were beaten and chained, yet instead of complaining or giving in to anger, they prayed and sang hymns to God.

That night, an earthquake shook the prison, opening the doors and loosening everyone’s chains. But instead of escaping, Paul and Silas stayed. When the jailer woke up, he was ready to take his own life, thinking all the prisoners had escaped. Paul stopped him and told him everyone was still there.

The story shows us the power of surrender. Paul and Silas could have clung to bitterness and demanded freedom on their terms. Instead, they let go of grievances and trusted God. True freedom came, not from breaking out of prison, but from living in God’s peace and bringing others to faith.

For the first Christians hearing this story, the message was clear: praise in prison is more powerful than complaint in comfort. God’s freedom doesn’t wait for your circumstances to improve. It meets you in the chains.

The problem:

Complaining keeps us stuck. It narrows our vision to what’s wrong, until we can’t see what’s right. It makes us bitter, not better.

The solution:

Surrender your complaints. Hand them to God in prayer. Replace grumbling with gratitude. When Paul and Silas sang, the prison shook. When you worship in hardship, your spirit shakes free.

Picture this: You’re carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks. Every complaint is another rock. It weighs you down. Surrender is taking that pack off. Suddenly, you’re lighter. Freer. Able to move.

Objections:

“But what if my situation really is unfair?” Yes, life is unfair. Paul and Silas weren’t guilty, but they were beaten anyway. Their surrender didn’t mean the pain was gone — it meant they refused to let pain control their spirit.

Motivation:

Complaining shrinks your soul. Gratitude expands it. The more you surrender, the more you make space for joy, peace, and surprising freedom.

Blunt application sentence:

Moaning and Groaning never sets you free — but surrender always does.

CONCLUSION

Friends, the root of control is always the same: fear, insecurity, and hunger for comfort. And the fruit of control is always the same: anxiety, strife, and disappointment.

But when we surrender, something shifts. We discover contentment. We learn that God’s plan is greater than our plan. We see that what we feared often never happens. And when it does, God is still with us.

So here is the call: Release control. Stop clutching the wheel of your life with white knuckles. Trade your complaints for contentment. Trust the One who holds all things.

Because if you don’t let go, you stay stuck. But if you do, you fly free.