Surrender, Dorothy!

Colleen Howard

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. —1 Corinthians 7:35, NIV

I love Jesus. He is my Savior, redeemer, and keeper of my heart. I love my husband, family, and friends. I love to read. I love words, and I love the movies.

Seriously, I really love movies. I quote them; I know weird, random movie facts, and I even took cinema classes in college. Old movies, new movies, funny, dramatic, poignant, and character-driven, I’m a sucker for a well-written film. Give me a good movie with clever dialogue, and bring on the popcorn.

The Timeless Appeal of "The Wizard of Oz": A Journey into Nostalgia

I recently watched a segment of CBS Sunday Morning News, and according to CBS, the Library of Congress reports that the most-watched movie of all time is the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which is based on Frank L. Baum’s series of Oz books. This captured my attention and led me down a nostalgic trail into the world of Oz.

I first saw the film when I was about seven years old and watched it year after year, each time it was televised. Spoiler alert — those flying monkeys are still terrifying.

The film begins with young Dorothy being swept up by a tornado and landing in the mysterious Land of Oz. Not fully understanding how this happened, all she wants to do is go home.

The Journey to the Wizard of Oz: Allies and Adversaries

Alone and confused, Dorothy is told by Glinda, the Good Witch, that the wizard will help. If she follows the yellow brick road, it will take her directly to the Wizard. Along the way, she meets three friends, and together, they journey down the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz. But it wouldn’t be a magnificent film without a villain. The clever enemy who’s out to get the fearless foursome is none other than the Wicked Witch of the West.

Dorothy and her friends are led to believe the Wizard will explain everything. A familiar line in the film is, “The great and powerful Oz has got matters all in hand.”

But the Wicked Witch plans to keep Dorothy from the Wizard. Her message is grim and written across the sky in capital letters: “SURRENDER, DOROTHY!”

So, what is Dorothy’s trek down the yellow brick road doing in this devotion?

With every passing year, I see God’s word in action everywhere I turn. As I watched the CBS News segment, I saw a profound life lesson woven through the story of the Wizard of Oz.

According to 1 Corinthians 7:35, God wants us to surrender all to Him and give Him our undivided devotion. He explains, it’s not to limit us, but to help us serve the Lord without distraction.

The Transformative Power of Surrendering to Faith

What does surrender require of us? It requires giving God our thoughts and actions. Surrendering all to serve Christ changes how we see the world and the way we live.

Just like Dorothy, we sometimes want to (metaphorically) go home. Perhaps we want to turn back the clock, have one more visit with a loved one who has passed, or simply have a do-over of yesterday. However, the answer is found in the word surrender. 

The current culture has attached a slew of negative connotations to the word surrender. The Dictionary online describes surrender as giving up possessions, surrendering to someone, or abandoning hope.

But God views surrender as a necessary part of our faith walk. When we let God saturate our lives, He directs our paths and shapes our choices. God’s Word tells us to demolish arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV)

Giving in to God is an act of obedience. When we surrender to the Savior, He gives us the freedom to walk confidently in faith and pray bold prayers. Surrender to the Holy One who placed the stars in the sky. That according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16, ESV).

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Prayer: Dear Jesus, give us the courage to surrender all to you freely. You are the God who keeps the planets in orbit; even so, you know every detail of our lives. As we stand before you, help us realize you are bigger than big and closer than close. Thank you for calling us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Amen.

Your Turn: Surrender is trusting God more than yourself. Recall a time when you surrendered something to God. Reflect on the details and how He guided your choices. Is there something in your life today that God is urging you to surrender? Ask Him for the courage to let go of the past and step into a new place of trust in your faith walk.