The essence of surrender is getting out of God's way so that He can do in us what He wants to do through us.
God took the worst thing that man could do to His Son, and transformed it into the best thing He could do for man.
Spiritual gifts are like utensils. Christ is the substance. When eating a meal I don't give 2 much attention to spoons/forks. But the food.
It is the way we react to circumstances that determines our feelings.