Jesus doesn't just show us light, or reveal it, He makes us light. So if we, His church, collectively are light, then why in the world is the world in such darkness? We've compromised; instead of exposing darkness, we've joined it by ignoring it. We've kept quiet in the face of evil, and called that love. We left moral law to governments, so morality dissipated.
Many of us have fallen asleep. Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be filled with His Spirit; sing and give thanks to the Lord. His will is that you are no longer darkness; but light that leads to life.
See my last post, Wake up, Sleeper, on Ephesians 5:8-20
Wake up, Sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise (vs 5:14-15).
And we're about to learn that living wisely includes submission.
Submission? Isn't that a bad word? I like my way; I think most do. After all, with everything we've learned so far, the characteristics of the flesh point directly to self-centeredness. Couple that with an individualistic society and even the Christian struggles with the notion of submission.
Yet Paul says, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(Ephesians 5:21 NIV)
Let's be honest, in the 21st Century, submission is not exactly popularized. Actually, even the word may leave a bad taste in the mouths of many as it's often seen as a sign of weakness. The devil has certainly twisted it in the minds of those who crave power. However, God's intention for submission is the opposite of something that's forced. If forced or manipulated, it's not submission after all.
No, biblical submission, although not always easy, is something that is chosen, not forced. The Greek word used here is hupotasso, "to place yourself under." Paul doesn't stop with "submit to one another," he continues with, "out of reverence for Christ." In other words, submit to one another, and in doing so you'll actually be submitting to Christ. And I would add, without a surrendered heart, true submission is virtually impossible.
The how and why make no sense without Jesus. How do I, in my flesh, continually put others' needs before my own? And, why would I ever give up my rights to what I want in order to serve someone else? I mean, I guess we could do that once in a while, here and there, but I don't think it comes naturally to any of us.
It took me the better part of my life to even be able to hear the word submission without offense. I was not raised in a Christian home. I grew up with a single mom, in a house with all women, smack dab in the middle of the Women's Lib Movement. So needless to say, this was not a recipe for submission. I don't even think submission was ever discussed, but I'm pretty sure if it was, it was frowned upon. What I learned was that I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet, not having to depend on anyone.
I was that girl. You know her, the one in her twenties who had a bumper sticker on her car that read, "A woman's place is in control!" And I firmly believed it!
It's funny how you can look back at moments in your life when God, even before you knew Him, was working and using people and circumstances all along the way. I'll always remember a conversation I had with a friend, neither one of us believers at the time, about submission. He was dating a woman who he described as submissive and how much he appreciated that quality in her. He indicated that she awakened something inside of him that he couldn't really explain.
I immediately pushed against what I called his 'crazy old fashioned sexism.' His response to me was simple, yet profound; he said,
"Jena, someone has to drive the car."
Of course I rolled my eyes and walked away saying, "I'll drive the car, thank you very much!"
But truthfully, his statement actually made some sort of sense to me (although I would have never told him that). I believe God tucked that safely away in my heart so when I became a believer, He built upon it. The more I drew near to Him, the more He revealed His truth to me.
Jesus not only modeled submission, He set the bar. His life was fully submitted to the Father. He chose to leave Heaven and live a life in human flesh; in order that He take our place and become our sacrifice; making us right with God, so we could live with Him forever (see John 1:14, 3:17).
One of the most beautiful examples Jesus gives us before going to the cross is at the Last Supper.
He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-5 NIV
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. John 13:12-13 NIV
In Jesus' time, walking on dirt roads in sandals made for dirty and smelly feet. It was the task of the lowest servant in rank to wash the feet of those who entered the home. Jesus put Himself under the lowest servant, modeling submission.
I touched on submission in a previous blog called Imitate God. Here is a piece of what I wrote:
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (vs.21). Think of what the world would look like if we cared for others, in every relationship, as more important than ourselves. I heard it put this way—Love goes up, then out. He's the One who deserves our respect and He asks us to direct that respect toward one another."
God had given Him authority over everything (vs 13:3), yet Jesus bent down and washed man's feet.
And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow.
John 13:14-15 NLT
Imagine how powerful a community could be if everyone had the mindset of Christ; committing to one another in mutual submission with a humble and happy spirit.
Submission God's way, believe it or not, does not bring with it weakness; it brings strength, stability, and freedom—to relationships of all kinds. Remember, someone has to drive the car. Consider giving up the wheel once in a while; think about how freeing it could be.
There is one caveat however; true submission comes from a life already submitted to Christ.
Hupotasso - to place yourself under. Are you willing?
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