Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Submit

Submit. Such a little word, but one that many people don't like to hear.

Why?

Submitting means I have to "yield to another; give up resistance; surrender." (Dictionary.com). Submitting means I have to put someone else's needs before my own. Submitting means I have to care about other people's feelings, needs, dreams, passions, goals. Submitting means that I not only care about other people, but I do whatever I can to make their lives better. Submitting means I put other people ahead of me. But let's face it, we're all selfish and when we have so much to figure out in our own lives, why in the world would we want to bother with what other people need?

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not only look to your interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

"I'm supposed to consider others better than me? But I'm so good at ______. Why should I have to consider others better than me? People don't treat me that way so why should I treat them that way? I have too much crap to deal with in my own life; I don't have time to find out what other people need, let alone try to meet their needs or help them."

Take a step back. "...look to your interests..." I still have to care about the things in my life that I'm able to do. I've been given gifts and abilities and certain things to be passionate about, and it's up to me to pursue those things. They're a gift from God and he expects me to use what he's given me. The problem comes when my interests are all I see. If I'm so focused on what I love doing and what I'm good at, I'm not even going to see the talents and passions of the people around me. And that's a problem.

"...but also to the interests of others..." As a follower of Jesus, my life needs to look like his life. Every story I read about Jesus points me to the fact that he cared about what other people were interested in. His life was about setting an example for us to follow. If I call myself a Christian, I had better look like Jesus in the way I treat people, the way I serve people, and the way I submit to people. If I don't do those things, I'm not really following Jesus. And that's a problem.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"Lay down my life. Hmm. Yeah I have some friends I could say I would lay down my life for, but some of the other people I know...they don't deserve to have me give up my life for them. They treated me like crap. They deserted me when I needed them most; they gave up on me; they lied to me; they said they would always be there, but now they're gone; they said they would do something for me, but let me down; they hurt me; they went behind my back; they refused to apologize; they__________. They don't deserve my forgiveness."

How many times have I given up on Jesus? How many times have I lied to him? How many times have I told him I would do something, but went back on my word? How many times have I hurt his heart? Do I really deserve his forgiveness?

"We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10

I've been a pretty lousy friend to Jesus. But he still chose to sacrifice his life; to put my desperate need for salvation above his desire for comfort and ease. Even with all of my selfishness, pride, and lies he decided that I was worth dying for. He considers me his friend. He set the example by laying down his life for me. He forgives me when I hurt him. He forgives me when I walk away from him. He welcomes me back with open arms and wipes the tears from my eyes and says "I love you." Grace truly is amazing. It's not earned; I don't deserve it, I can't do anything to make it go away. God pours his grace out on me because he loves me. It's up to me to choose to do that for my friends. To choose to forgive, to choose to sacrifice and do whatever I can to make things right, even (especially) when I don't think they deserve it. Grace.

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21

If I revere Christ, I must submit to my friends (and the people I don't like). I don't submit to someone for my benefit; I don't submit to them solely for their benefit; I submit to them because I revere my savior. I submit because I can't call myself a Christian and not follow Christ's example. He submitted; I must submit.

I don't always like submitting. I don't like dying to myself and giving up my selfishness. I don't like sacrificing my time and energy to do something for someone who hurt me or lied to me or made me feel inferior. I have a hard time being selfless. I have a hard time being like Jesus.

But when I spend time with Jesus, when I read his words, when I read about how he interacted with people, I start to realize I can't help but love him. I can't help but want to be like him. I can't look at the way he selflessly sacrificed everything for me then turn around and live a selfish life anymore. His humility is a wake up call. I want him to be pleased with the life I live.

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8