We Love by Submission

By Troy Pomeroy

Have you ever participated in something you didn’t want to, simply because a friend enjoyed it? Maybe your thing isn’t football but you watched games with someone just because it’s with that someone. Or maybe you’ve given up a Saturday to help someone, not so much because they needed the help, but because you got to spend time with them.

Those are examples of submission! Too often we think of submission as something we have to do. After all, the Bible instructs us to submit. Husbands and wives are to submit to each other in love. We are all to submit to those in authority over us, especially Jesus. But submission is really something we get to do.

We get to love others by our choice of submission. Sometimes it’s easier than others, like letting someone else choose where to go for dinner or what activity to engage in. Other times it is very difficult to convince ourselves to submit. If we are honest with ourselves, we like being in control and getting our way. The more important a decision is to us, the harder it is to put someone else’s needs, wants, or desires, above our own.

The more difficult it is for us to put someone ahead of ourselves, the greater the opportunity to demonstrate love towards others. And with that challenge comes greater opportunity to be like our Savior. Though Jesus is all God, He is also all man. He showed us great love when, in submission to the Father’s perfect plan, He took the cup He did not want to take. It’s in His image we are made, and Him we strive to please. We love Jesus when we love His people (one way being through submission) and follow His ways (submitting to His rule and authority).

We can probably all grow in our ability to “regard one another as more important than yourselves” Philippians 2:3 But what about our submission to Jesus? Are we following His ways? Are we choosing His will over our own? Most of us have some sort of spiritual checklist – a list of ways we have grown in the Lord or challenges we have overcome through His power in our lives. We may also be aware of the inner battle between the spirit and the flesh and realize when we choose correctly. The real test of our faith is when we know what He wants us to do and we really don’t want to do it. Isn’t it funny how we argue with a perfect and loving God, even when we know that His plan for our lives is good? (see Jeremiah 29:11)

Each day as we wait for our Lord’s return, we have multiple opportunities to practice submission. When we choose to take this opportunity, we get to fulfill our purpose to love God and love His people. And we prepare ourselves to serve our King.

Troy Pomeroy writes from Eagle Point, Oregon. troy_pomeroy@yahoo.com