Ever tell yourself something like, “I am tired of that person telling me what to do.”
Here is the attitude spectrum to reflect on this week:
Pride and Rebelliousness ← ———— ↔ ———— → Humbleness and Submission
This week reflect on the following scripture to help you discover the truth about the healing attitude of submission:
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17)
Ultimately, God is our highest authority. We can submit to Him every day. What does submission to God look like? It is submission to His authority as the Lord of our lives. It is saying to God, “Your way, is the way.” Submission to God can take on many forms. We bow to God when we seek guidance for daily living by reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. We yield to Him when we clear our schedule on Sunday to worship and rest. We surrender ourselves before God when we give our time and resources to serve others in need. There are many ways to humble ourselves before God.
Foundational Question: Do I submit myself to God’s authority?
God also places human authorities in our lives. These authorities can be a parent, pastor, boss, church, husband, politician, coach, and more, depending on our situation. We all have human authority in our lives that we are tempted to be in rebellion against.
Now here is a fact; people in authority can be foolish! When faced with leadership in our lives that is ungodly, the potential for suffering under this influence is great. In these moments, we are vulnerable to developing a rebellious attitude.
A point of clarification: if someone in your live is abusive, or if they are leading you to sin, you need to get help from a higher authority. The aim of this article is to address the vast majority of relationships that are non-abusive in our lives.
So what is God’s desired response, in the face of human authority? We are called to have a humble, submissive attitude. We remember that we serve God through how we serve others. In all of our relationships, we use our freedom to do right. We never neglect our duty to the authorities in our life. Ultimately, we cultivate an attitude demonstrating how we are servants of God, by the attitude we project onto the human authorities in our lives.
Here is a helpful key. No one is supposed to force you to submit; forced submission from the top down is not taught anywhere in the Bible. God gives us freedom to choose. We can use our freedom to trust God and submit to Him, and others in our lives. Unfortunately, we can also choose the attitude of rebellion, which leads to all kinds of dysfunction. Submission replaces the pain and strife of rebellion. Ephesians 5:21 says, “…be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” The obedience we give to human authorities, we give freely.
Waiting on God ← ———- ↔ ———- → Acting on My Own
Trust and Obey ← ———- ↔ ———- → Doubt and Disobey
God loves heartfelt, willing humility. In being humble we are being like Jesus. When we are able to grasp this concept, and adopt a humble attitude – we take wise steps toward healing from the pain and strife in our lives. Whether the struggle is depression, anxiety, workplace issues, addiction, marital problems or something more, rebellion can be part of the issue.
This week, commit to exploring this healing attitude by reflecting on the following questions:
- Do I practice the attitude of submission?
Reflect on the authorities in your life. What kind of attitude do you have towards these people?
- Who am I resisting in my life? To what extent has a rebellious attitude replaced a humble attitude toward these individuals.
What are the consequences of this life pattern?
- God is the ultimate authority of my life; where am I in rebellion toward Him?
Am I willing to turn from these habits and begin to trust in God?
The submissive attitude. One of the most challenging explorations in this series. Remember you are not alone in this journey. Whatever challenge or hardship that you face, the staff at Christian Counseling Associates prays for you. We hope that today is the day you will experience a new turning point!
God’s blessings to you and your family this week!
