“Submit yourselves, therefore to God. . .”
James 4:7a
It’s all a matter of who’s in control.
“Submit yourselves.”
Quite a simple command, isn’t it, Pilgrim? Only two words—but, oh how great the implications of this Divine Imperative!
The word itself (“submit”) comes from the Greek word “hupotasso,” which means “to subordinate one’s self, obey, be under another’s authority, be subject to, etc.” Thus, it’s the picture of a master and his servant or a king and his subject.
Now, let’s face it:
None of us like to be in submission to anyone else—even God, if the truth be known.
No, we like to be the one in control. . .singing “I Did It My Way”. . .expecting others to always tow-the-mark, while excusing ourselves from such. . .and somehow expecting God to be pleased.
But, He’s not. Never has been. Never will be.
We’re either walking with Him or we’re wrestling against Him. Period.
And, in the process we’ll learn the “Secret of Serenity” (Mt. 11:18-20; Lk. 9:23; Gal. 2:20) or continually be battling “the world, the flesh and the devil” and never experience Christ’s “Peace that passes all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7; Jn. 14:27).
So, again, it’s all about surrender. “Absolute surrender,” as Andrew Murray called it.
It’s adopting the mentality of “He must increase and I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Or, another way to put it is “More of Him and less of me. Jesus on the throne of my heart and not me. Dying to Self and coming alive to Christ.”
That’s what it’s all about, Pilgrim.
“Submitting ourselves to God” even as the clay surrenders itself to the Potter by lying quietly on the Wheel and whispering, “Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way” (Jer. 18:1-6).
Are you there yet? Are you there yet?
Or, is yours a moment-by-moment struggle over who’s going to be #1 in your life? Until the battle for who’s “Lord of our lives” is settled, we’ll always remain in an unsettled tizzy. Only through WILLINGLY “submitting ourselves to the Lord” do we experience the victory that awaits those who do (I Jn. 4:4; 5:4). Only then.
Why not pause a few minutes right now and pray that beautiful prayer of David that deliberately requests the Holy Spirit to “search you and know everything about you” (Ps. 119:23-24)? Then, be willing to make whatever changes He requires and right any situation to which He directs. Only then can you truly say that “Jesus is Lord of my life.” Only then.
November 6, 2011
