Submit
To Submit – Accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person, subject to a particular process, treatment, or condition.
Submission – The action of submitting as highlighted above.
What Submission is-
Even though the world in general defines submission as “the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.” Submitting means putting others before yourself; it means not always doing what you want to do. It also means putting God’s desires above your desires.
What submission is not-
Every human generally wants to have their will done and submission makes most uncomfortable, most of us have come to think of submission as oppressive. A lack of submission is no new or rare fault in mankind, it’s almost hereditary. While trying to place what submission isn’t, we must understand that “Submission does not mean living or acting in fear.”
Having known what submission is and isn’t, we must now dive in to see what it means to attain submission.
We can characterize this into two simple steps below:
1. The act of submitting, yielding, or surrendering.
2. The quality or condition of being submissive; resignation; obedience; meekness.
What is an example of submission?
The definition of a submission is something sent in or the act of surrendering. An example of submission is a criminal who gives themselves up to the police. A wife submitting to the husband as the bible tells us and Christians submitting to the will of God Almighty. Now, we must remember that God has a plan for us all and we must submit to his will.
How then do we submit to God’s plan?
God sees us all, He hears us, and He answers our prayers. This life can be hard, but through trials, the Lord makes us stronger. We must understand his will for our lives, this aids submission to the maker. Below are steps that can guide us through this process:
- Be in prayer.
- Be actively reading in the Word.
- Follow the commands He puts on your heart.
- Seek a godly community.
- Obey the Truth.
Why is submission to God important?
Even though we all have someone or something that holds a measure of authority in our lives. There are parents, employers and the law of the land, lender and government, just to name a few. Each requires your willingness and cooperation in compliance with the rules but submission to God supersedes all.
Submission to God’s authority brings freedom. It sets order and direction in our everyday lives for those found in Christ. And what follows that is unimaginable blessing for those who are obedient.
It is never enough to be a ‘good person’. Repentance, acceptance of Christ as lord and savior and allowing his authority to reign in our lives is required. When we have learned how to respect the authority of God, we will be in position to do the same here on Earth.
Psychological Views
There was a time when religion was the absolute source of all knowledge and meaning. The unquestioning acceptance of views of the universe proclaimed by religions was the cast for peoples’ worldviews; it provided a frame for understanding reality, creating meaning and directing behavior.
Some of these virtue clusters and their defining character strengths are:
• Wisdom and knowledge – This entails the acquisition and use of knowledge: curiosity, love of learning, open-mindedness, creativity, perspective.
• Courage – This is emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal: valor or bravery, persistence, integrity or authenticity, zest or vitality.
• Humanity – interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others: love, kindness, social intelligence.
• Justice – civic strengths that underlie healthy community life: citizenship, fairness, leadership.
• Temperance – strengths that protect against excess: self-regulation, prudence, forgiveness and mercy, modesty and humility. This is extremely essential for us all.
Biblical View on submission
As Christians, God has given us the resources that we need to serve. Jesus willingly serves us by taking on our greatest need, our debt to sin and death. He submits himself to death for us. Jesus submits himself to the will of his father, and serves us, at infinite expense to himself.
Biblical references on Submission
Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
John 7:17–If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
Hebrews 13:21 –Equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Conclusively, unbelievers can do what they want, but the people of God are to do whatever He wants. We see people living the life that we want to live, and we think, That is the life that I am supposed to have, only to find out after we have pursued it that it isn’t really what we wanted or what we needed. But the truth is, every one of us who is a Christian is called to be a full-time disciple, fully submitted to God’s will and purposes. There is an eternal destiny for every one of our lives; there is a God-ordained plan, there is a God-designed process, there is a God-supplied product that He wants to bring us into and accomplish in each of us.
God knows what His highest and best is for each of us, and whether we selectively obey Him or assume that we know what is best for us, we will miss abiding under the mighty hand of God and finding His will for our lives.
May God grant us the grace to discern and understand his will for our lives, Amen