Submission

Photograph by Dana Long

Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice law, and I am practicing submission. I think submission is a difficult concept for a lot of individuals to understand. Everyone wants to be in charge of “their own” life, but as creations, we have to submit to the higher authority, our life belongs to the Lord. Throughout the Bible, we can see where God offers the option to submit before he exercises His authority.

• Abraham - without hesitation, he took his son Isaac (who could have easily run circles around his father at his old age) and followed every command the Lord gave to him. Right before he was going to plunge the dagger into his son in obedience to the Lord, he was interrupted. The Lord knew Abraham would follow through. His obedience + submission was apparent to the Lord, so He spared Isaac.

• Peter - He was obedient and submitted to the Lord in a sense. The Lord told Peter to cast down his nets plural, but in turn, Peter cast down his net, singular. I wonder how much more Peter would have gained if he would have submitted to the Lord completely. He would have definitely been living in the overflow of fish profit.

This submission is spread out throughout the word of God, but how easy is it really to submit to the Lord? His word is filled with commandments that seem easy to submit to because we would most likely not go against it. I would never murder anyone, that is why it is simple for me to follow the commandment, thou shall not kill. It is only true submission if it is a concept in opposition to what you want to do. If there was a new eleventh commandment that stated, thou shalt only in enter into the kingdom of Heaven by not consuming macarons. I can tell you right now, what would be the hardest commandment to follow- macs are my passion. As long as it was the top Ten Commandments, I was fine, the eleventh commandment would force me to practice true submission, but clearly, I want to enter into Heaven more than I want macarons here on Earth. The same concept applies to you and the spiritual authority in your life. Your pastor only wants:

A) What is best for you as an individual

B) What is best for the church for unified growth

I think I am safe in assuming the pastor in your life talks with the Lord daily. So if he made a new guideline that stated only rainbow clown suits are to be worn on Sundays, I’m headed to Party City. I do not want disobedience to allow me to miss out on a blessing as Peter did. I also don’t want my fleshly opinions on a situation to plant a seed of rebellion or influence anyone around me in a negative way. I want to be genuinely and wholeheartedly submitted to my spiritual authority + to the Lord. So what does the Bible say about submission?

Hebrews 13:17 KJV

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

English Standard Version:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Ephesians 5:21-25

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

ESV:

Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Submission is more than just bowing + blindly agreeing with whatever your authority says. Submission takes action. It’s retraining the mind and saying ok this is the new norm, this is what’s going to better me for the long run. Trust me; this is absolutely not easy. Submission can feel like a battle between two worlds at times. It can be a constant back and forth between what you think is right for you, and what someone from the outside feels is best for you. Submission in the form of obedience is better than sacrifice. As creations, submission to God is imperative. So even if your flesh is really not feeling it, be like Nike and just do it. It will only benefit you.