Liberating Submission

Good Morning,

One of the most liberating words in the scriptures has come to be known as a confining, restricting way to live in our society.  The word has taken on a negative connotation completely antithetical to its true intent. The word is submission.  

James 4:7 reads: “Submit yourselves, then to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  In other words, submitting to God’s way frees us from the traps and ploys of Satan whose sole desire is to take us down paths leading to destruction.

Choosing the right path starts with submission.  This is contrary to most of our thinking. We usually look first for good information to help us.  We look for facts and data.  Yet as we have seen these last few weeks, all the information and data in the world does not ensure choosing a good path.  Even wisdom without submission is inadequate (just look at the life of Solomon to see that).

Submitting to the only One who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who knows our future, is the only way to keep from getting off course.  Many of us have memorized Prov. 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.” Look at some of the key words in those verses.

• Trust= total dependence, vulnerability and abandonment to God

• All= every single area of your life; every decision in life

• Acknowledge= recognize who God is and respond to Him accordingly

What is the proper way to respond to God? Submission.  The more intimate you are with Him, the more submission will feel like freedom and not confinement.  Your love for, and connection with the God who loves you beyond comprehension will fuel your submission.  It will lead to freedom from guilt, regret and avoidable pain.  It will lead to life abundant. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”  (John 10:10).

Andy Stanley sums it up this way. The moral of the story is this: In order to make the best decisions now, we need much more than information, common sense or conventional wisdom.  We need God. We need to live with a posture of dependency.  We need to acknowledge him in all our ways.

Are you ready to take this important step?

Live this week on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein

(This series is based on the book The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley)