Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Submission

Submit yourselves…to God (James 4:7).

Submission. The word makes most of us feel uncomfortable. It comes with all sorts of negative connotations. Submission makes you think of weakness or a reluctance to stand up for yourself. Describe a person as submissive and you picture someone who is needy or has little in the way of self-confidence.

Of course, no one should be dominated or abused. Everyone should be respected for the person they are. God shaped each of us, and His loving touch gives everyone unique value that should be appreciated.

Sadly, submission has gotten a bum rap. Because all humans are sinners, we mistreat each other all the time—show vulnerability, and someone will take advantage. It only seems right that we reject submission as inviting mistreatment at the hands of others. But submission is actually a good thing—God values submission and rewards it.

Submission is an act of love. If you love someone, you want them to be happy. So what happens when the love of your life wants something that is not the same as what you want? If you are submissive, you put the other person’s happiness first. That, my friend, is love.

Submission shows respect and trust. There’s no way that you’ll let yourself be vulnerable around a jerk who you know is selfish and abusive. But it’s a very different matter when you respect and trust the person you love. Respect lets you be submissive because you don’t fear being exploited. Trust lets you be submissive because you are confident that your lover has your best interests at heart.

Jesus is the ultimate example of perfect submission. He loves His Father deeply; He has shown that love by never breaking any of God’s laws or complaining about doing the Father’s will. Christ respects His Father and trusts Him implicitly; Jesus never worried that His Father in heaven would ask Him to do anything that was not necessary and for the best. It’s because Jesus was submissive that He agreed to die on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven, and God rewarded that submission with glory everlasting.

Blog Top Sites
Blog Directory & Search engine
Blog Directory