Submission

It amazes me how the word 'submission' has become a four-letter word in the world today.  I say this because whenever you hear someone talking about submitting there is such a negative connotation.  Just look at television.  We see women portrayed as the smart, intelligent ones while the husband is either deadbeat, non-existent, out of work, and belittled in their own home.  I sat and listened to the next generation of husbands and fathers, wives and mothers in my Interpersonal Communication class and what their philosophy is on submission.  Let me just tell you that there mindset is so far off.  Now let me begin by saying I am not here to debate with you about your thoughts on submission or what is going on in your life right now and why you think what you think.  However I am obligated to tell you what the Bible has to say about submission. This is not even about your personal relationships. I was driving in my car and the Lord  spoke to me and I heard Him just as clear as if He were sitting in my passenger seat.  The question was simple, "When are you, Ramona going to give me every aspect of your life?"  This was an unsettling question, especially since I thought I had already done this.  So you know me, the time had come in my Journey of Trust to see what the Word had to say about this subject. 

The first place I was directed was James 4:7,  "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." The literal definition of the word submit mean 'to line up under'.  Like alot of the terminology in the Bible it was taken from a military perspective.  The soldiers were to line up under the authority of the new commander.  While this should be a difficult concept for the non-Christian, it should come a little easier for the Christian.  When we become saved we are now a new creature, old things are passed away, all things become new.---II Corinthians 5:17.  With our salvation, Christ should automatically become the head of our life.  Unfortunately this is not always the case.  Why?  Because God gave us free will and while we may recognize that there are some things in disarray in our lives, we may actually think that there are some things we are handling okay on our own.

In these verses James is referring to our willful, conscious submission.  It should be our decision.  If we thought we could do better without the help of the Lord then why get saved.  I don't know about you but I would be lost without the Lord.  Without the leading of His Holy Spirit that dwells within me.  I can only imagine what hole I would be in without Him leading, guiding and directing me.  By my recognizing that God is sovereign and that He can take my life and do with it as He pleases, I decided that it would be to my benefit to just give Him everything. All of my mind, body and spirit.  I began to go down the list of all my many different hats I may wear in any given day.  I confessed my disobedience and told the Lord I submit myself completely to Him.  Any and all the preconceived notions about what I was supposed to be or how I thought I needed to behave as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend were going out the window.  I told Him that I give Him control of my finances, allowing Him to be my personal banker.  After all for the past year I have seen myself about how little can become much when you place it in the Master's hands.  I especially give Him my mind.  It is time to rid myself of all the 'stinkin thinkin' as my oldest daughter puts it.  It time for me to think on whatsoever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable.---Philippians 4:8 

I began by saying that I was not going to debate with you about your thoughts on submission and I am not.  It is only my prayer that you can recognize the importance of submitting to God.  Learning to fall in line willfully under His command.  I also want to leave you with this small tidbit of information for those of you who may seriously be struggling with this in your personal relationships.  Once you truly learn to submit every thing to God, including your personal relationships, submission will come a lot easier.  You will recognize the blessing that will come out of it.  We must recognize that submission to God means praying about that thang and leaving it in God's hands to turn it around for our good instead of thinking that we have the power to fix it.  Just a little something to think about.  God designed things a certain way and unfortunately right now things are so out of whack.  I wonder what would happen if just a few of us would stand up for God's way, submitting to His will and to His way wholeheartedly. What mighty things would happen. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

Most High God. My Lord.  My Savior.  Thou who made me and knows all about me.  You know my innermost thoughts.  You know the inner struggle I have with giving total control over to You.  And even sometimes when I have given it to You, I find myself taking it back on many occasions.  Help me to obedient to Your Word and submit my entire life to You.  I  accept that You know what is best for my life.  I love You Lord and I trust You with my life.  Help me to resist the temptation to put my hands back on the steering wheel and instead keep the car in neutral with You in the driver's seat.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.