Submission
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”" (NIV) Matthew 28:18
I often find it difficult to submit to authority. In fact, the very idea makes me cringe. When I was in high school, my mom would often tell me that in order to complete my studies I would just have to “buckle down and do it.” Instead, I insisted on thinking I should “rise up and conquer” them. I rebelled at the idea of adopting a submissive attitude toward my studies.
We often have trouble submitting to other authorities too. We prefer to be our own bosses. Unfortunately, we can carry this attitude into our relationship with Jesus. We falsely believe that we may choose to “make Jesus the Lord of our life.” The truth is this: Jesus already is the Lord of our life. We cannot decide if He is going to be our Lord. His lordship is independent of our consent – He is Lord whether we like it or not. Therefore, our response is to submit to Him.
So how can we “buckle down and submit” when we would rather “rise up and conquer?” This is how: when we “buckle down,” truly submitting to Jesus’ authority over our lives, we can know that we are a part of Jesus’ authority. He is the greatest authority in heaven and on earth, and because we are a part of that authority, we will one day “rise up and conquer!”
“Lord, help me recognize that you are the Lord of heaven and earth and help me submit my attitude and actions today to your authority. Help me see that in you, I will rise up and conquer! In your powerful Name, I pray, Amen.”
See Romans 8:1-39 for further encouragement.