We are all in one of three categories of submission no matter our marital status...
1) Rebelling Against Submitting - This is when your flesh is in full glory. Sin is ruling your heart. There is no joy in your attitude or service because you are in outright sin.
2) Dutifully Submitting - This is when your flesh is subjected but still very much alive. There is still no joy in your attitude and service, and tension is present in all you do. Submitting dutifully is using your own strength to submit -- this leads to bitterness and can be termed "Jonah Submission." Remember how he dutifully submitted to God's desire that the Ninevites hear of Him? His attitude was NASTY once he saw their repentance. Jonah was bitter that God had indeed kept His word to not destroy them. Jonah submitted outwardly, but his heart was full of resentment and bitterness -- subjected but living flesh. A good picture of this is being in a boat and rowing yourself to get to the other side. It's hard work, and you will fail if you do it in your own strength!
3) Truly Submitting - This is when the flesh is crucified and the Holy Spirit is free to flow through you. Harmony and peace rule your attitude and service which creates a home/family environment of harmony and peace. Yes, there may be times of friction when you must do battle between your old flesh and your new spirit to submit. But the peace is still there as the Spirit works on your heart and you obey. You will not fall into bitterness as you serve your heart out for others and follow your husband/father's lead time and again. Each time you successfully submit in true obedience to God's role for you as a woman, your love for Him and others will only increase, submission will become easier next time, and others will be drawn to you and blessed. In this boat, you have put up the sail and are letting the Wind move you. A much easier and more refreshing way to get to the other side!
True submission is where we discover the essence of God's power. In contrast, when we rebel against submission, we are quenching Him. We need to realize that God's ways are so wise and He knows exactly what He is doing. We must choose to believe it and obey Him -- submit to Him as we submit to those He has wisely placed over us. This is faith and "without faith, it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Very good thoughts. I have to admit that I am in the Dutifully Submitting category lately. My flesh has been doing some fighting against the Spirit! Like I said before I struggle with submitting when the decisions are not thought out and seemingly foolish. God is teaching me that HE is in control and will use the leaders in my life, good decisions or not, to make me more like Christ. Everything that comes to my life is fromt he hand of God. God may want me to learn something throught my leaders failures. He wants me to learn to trust HIM, not man... and I guess learn submission too! :-) Thanks for putting your notes out for me to see... and learn from in such a simple, condensed way! Love you!
In both marriage to God and to Paul, I think it's the Dutifully Submitting. There's the willingness to obey with the occassional bitterness, too.
top [url=http://www.001casino.com/]online casinos[/url] coincide the latest [url=http://www.casinolasvegass.com/]las vegas casino[/url] free no set aside bonus at the foremost [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]casino bonus
[/url].
Post a Comment