Friday-The “S” Word

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5

When it comes to words that we hate, submit has got to be on top. It means to lose control. Our ability to decide is gone. Submit means that someone else is in control, and we hate it. We rebel against it. But should we?

I don’t care who you are, but we all submit. There, I said it. Everyone on planet Earth is someone who submits. When you drive a car, you submit to the rules of the road. When you buy food, you submit and pay someone for it. When you wait in a line, you’re submitting to others by taking your turn.

We think of submitting ourselves as an act of weakness. Someone stronger has overpowered us and forced us to do whatever they want. Like a powerful criminal or evil ruler who uses threats and fear to get people to do what they want.

Handcuffs are a picture of how we think about submitting. They have nothing to do with what we choose to do. They control us from the outside. Someone puts them on our wrists and locks them. From that time forward, we can’t do what we want. Someone else is in charge. We lose all control.

And while that’s one way of looking at submitting, Peter has something very different in mind. Instead of someone or something making us submit from the outside, he’s telling us about submitting from the inside. Instead of being forced to submit, we can choose submission.

I know this idea sounds very strange. After all, why would anyone in their right mind choose to submit themselves? The only way to get ahead in this world is to push your way to the top. To climb over someone so that you get more power. More authority. More money. More things.

That’s exactly what being proud means. We show off and put ourselves above and ahead of everyone else. Our opinions are right and everyone else is wrong. If we like something, it must be the best. Proud people know that any other ideas or opinions are wrong and inferior because it’s different from theirs.

So, when Peter says that God’s against the proud, he doesn’t stop there. Yes, God does oppose the proud, but God also is on the side of people that are humble. And when God’s on your side, he doesn’t just wear a shirt with your face on it. Not on your life. He stands beside you. He’s in front of you. Behind you. He all around you. His hand is on you[1]. And if that were all, it would be enough. But it’s oh so much better. When we receive Jesus’ as our Lord and Savior, there’s absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God[2].

All of this requires us to be humble. To rightly see God as high and lifted[3]. And our response is to bow down, worship, and to lovingly respond in doing anything he says. Submitting to God isn’t him forcing us to do anything. It’s really just the opposite. It’s when we purposefully and lovingly choose to lower ourselves. We put all our hope and confidence in him because he’s so much greater and mightier than we are.

When our pool needed to be repainted, we had to make a decision. We’re we going to let all the water out of the pool or not? We were never going to set to step two of painting the pool until step one of draining it was not just talked about, but actually done.

The same is true for God using us. Are we going to let go of our desire to be in control? To be full of ourselves? Of all the people who have ever walked on this planet, Jesus had every right to be proud. He was God from eternity past[4]. He’s ahead of everyone else and keeps all creation together[5]. And yet, how did he choose to live?

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

What’s the promise of following Jesus and letting him call the shots? This starts when we choose to put his yoke on. No one can force us to do it. We have to pick it up, put it on, and keep it on.

And what’s Jesus’ personal promise to everyone who does this? They will find rest for their souls. That rest may not come immediately but is absolutely guaranteed in our future. Just let that promise wash over you and fill you. Rest for your soul. If there was ever a promise that was needed today, it’s rest for our souls. And the only price for that rest is to submit to Jesus. Not a here today and gone tomorrow kind of submission. He’s calling to us to volunteer a submission that’s here each and every day. In each and every way. The call is for us to submit. The time is now for submission to Jesus.

Noodling Questions

• Why is it so hard for you to submit? Explain.

• Why has being humble become so unpopular? Explain how.

• What’s stopping you from putting on, and keeping on, the yoke of Jesus?

[1] Psalm 139:5

[2] Romans 8:38,39

[3] Isaiah 57:15

[4] John 10:30

[5] Colossians 1:17