Submission: The Word We Love to Hate

My Beth Moore book has taken me into the study of gentleness this week, and day 1 focused on one aspect of gentleness- submission.  Why is it we tend to run for the hills when we hear that word?  I think it's interesting that we're so obsessed with being our own boss that, even when it's in our best interest, we don't want to give over the reins to anyone else.  The Lord is the perfect portrait of submission as seen in the essence of the Trinity.  Now I'm by no means an expert on Trinitarian theology, but it is clear from scripture that God (the son) is in submission to the God (the Father's) will.

The kind of submission I've studied today isn't focused on the earthly submission of, say, a wife to her husband, but rather our submission to God's will for our lives.  For a lesson in submission we can always turn to Paul.  He was a persecutor of Christians to the nth degree.  Acts 9:1 describes him as "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples."  Yikes.  No one would have thought that this man would be the one to bring the Gospel to the far reaches of the globe (or at least far reaching for those days.)  But as usual, God had a bigger plan that people couldn't comprehend.

Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus and asked, "Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4)  Reading this verse, I also appreciate the fact that Jesus is so intimately connected with his followers that persecuting them is the same as persecuting the person of Christ himself.  Now here is where I think it gets interesting.  Jesus, in a vision to Ananias says, "This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:15-16)  Paul knew that he would face hardship and ultimately death for his faith and proclamation of the gospel.  And yet, upon his conversion he "at once began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God." (Acts 9:20)  Paul knew that there is nothing greater in the world than serving the Living God, and that's why he was able to approach his calling with such passion.  His was a life truly surrendered to God's will.

Now we might all say that's well and good for Paul, but what about us?  God calls every one of us to submit to his authority in our lives.  Only then will he be able to transform us into the image of his Son.  Only then will he be able to use us for his glory.  True, sometimes submitting is painful, because often God leads us to places we'd just as soon not go.  But in light of eternity, the things of God are infinitely better than anything we could imagine for ourselves. In John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  We aren't promised an easy life.  If anything, Christians are pretty much guaranteed suffering at some point.  But our faith is in Him who has overcome!   It's time to let go, and let God reign in his sovereign place in your life.