Transforming Tuesday: Learning How To Submit

Have you ever had to submit? I'll be the first to say that I have my struggles with bowing down to authority. I naturally do not like to, but I am aware of the many foreseeable consequences that lie ahead if I do not submit. Today the Bible taught me that not all submission is bad! Actually submission is something that God rewards. Who doesn't want to be rewarded by God??? I know I do! That's my daily agenda.

Today's reading in Ephesians teaches us about submission in the household, meaning submission in the church and submission between spouses. We are told as the church to submit to God, just as wives are to submit to their husbands. Now since I am not married, I will choose to refrain from the submission between spouses lol. As I think about my personal church I am reminded of the importance of submission. I may not necessarily agree with everything that may happen (that's just life in general), but without submission how could we ever get anything done? There is an implied chain of command in the church: God is always first, then next the Bishop, the preacher, .... the congregation. Submission is effective because it cultivates this notion of unison. The Bible tells us to be gathered in one accord and that means that eventually someone has to submit to a greater authority.

Submission does not mean that you are weak or a pushover. Submission instills a sense of humility in each and everyone of us. What happens when we are humble?? When we become humble it gives God enough leeway to bless us more than we deserve and/or expect. Who doesn't like blessings??? And more importantly when we submit we are taking ourselves out of the equation and living out our daily duty of making this life about Jesus. As Jael stated in yesterday's Merciful Monday's post, "Jesus is our mark. He is the person we should strive to be like, the person we should imitate. He is the prime example of love because he sacrificed everything for us, including his life, in order to please God." Prior to Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins, he had to first submit to authority from God. He had to submit to his faith. He had to submit to his spirit and denounce all fleshly desires. I can't imagine dying on a cross and subjecting myself to vast amounts of pain all for individuals who curse my name daily. However, my emotions, thought process, and calling are some of the things that separates Jamera from Jesus -- I'm human and perfectly flawed :)

So when there is an opportunity where we have to submit,

let's all try to "imitate" Jesus and take it all in stride. Submission does not always have to break you down -- it can actually build you up. We should start by looking at the positive in any situation. We submit to the law every single day: you can't text and drive, if you murder someone you're going to jail, if you don't pay your rent you're getting evicted. It's so easy to submit to all of these man-made laws but when it comes to submitting to who matters: God, it's a difficult task. We can start by honoring our submission to God by submitting to our leaders in the church. No one has to agree with every decision or even be excited about changes, but if we all develop the attitude of Christ and believe that our submission (and therefore involvement and commitment) will work for the greater good, then God will truly reward us all. Wouldn't it be great to have an entire church be collect recipients of God's blessings simply because they have learned the art of submission? Respect God and your church leaders enough to know that this life is never about us -- it's about our obedience to God in every aspect. Learn what ideas, notions, beliefs, activities, and choices you can and should submit to and what things you should not submit to.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for who you are today, tomorrow, and who you were yesterday. You have yet to change and as the days go by you remain the same. We come before you to ask that you allow us to be humbled before your name so that we can learn how to submit to your will. If it your will for us to be more active in the church, more proactive in our callings, and more effective in our ministry then we ask Lord God that you give us the motivation and the desire to do so. Allow us to remove ourselves out of the equation and focus solely on WHO and WHAT you have planned for us to be. We only want to submit to your will Lord. Everything else is secondary. Thank you in advance for the blessings that you are about to bestow upon our lives simply because we yearn to do only what you have requested of us. In your precious name we pray AMEN.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAY :)

TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA