First, I apologize for not posting last week. I was at our winter retreat with our teen group. It is kind of hard to post from the back of beyond.
Now, on to the topic for today. Submission. I know. It is a dirty word to some, but it is important to our lives as Christians. A couple of weeks ago, my coworker preached on this subject. He was talking about the relationships between family members such as husband and wife, parents to children. I got to thinking about my specific situation. I do not live with my parents and I am not married. Does this concept apply to me? Even without delving into my particular situation, my coworker answered my question for me. You see, the passage he was speaking from in Ephesians 5 says first that we are to submit ourselves one to another. Even though I do not have a husband or children, submission should still play a part in my life.
The latter part of Ephesians 5 talks specifically about the family dynamics. Where do we fit within the family structure? Husband is the head of the house, wife is second ‘in command,’ then come children. However, the marital relationship is likened to Christ and His Bride, the Church. Even though I am not married and for all intents and purposes am the head of my home, I still have a relationship with Christ. Submission enters my life with my relationship to Him. He should be the head of my home, just as He should be the head of every Christian home.
Submission also comes into play with verse 21 of chapter 5.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
I may not have a husband to submit to, but I should be submitting ‘one to another.’ In the life of a single missionary this includes, your home/sending church, your coworker (especially if you are a woman), the authority of your mission agency (if you use one), and the government of the country you live in (see Acts 4:19-20 for civil disobedience). I am sure I have not mentioned all the instances where submission is required, but you get the idea.
Before I go any further, I would like to define the word submission. You know me, word lover. This is the definition taken from Webster’s 1828 dictionary.
SUBMIS”SION, n. [L. submissio, from submitto.]
1. The act of submitting; the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another.
Submission, dauphin! ‘‘Tis a mere French word;
We English warriors wot not what it means.
2. Acknowledgment of inferiority or dependence; humble or suppliant behavior.
In all submission and humility,
York doth present himself unto your highness.
3. Acknowledgment of a fault; confession or error.
Be not as extreme in submission, as in offense.
4. Obedience; compliance with the commands or laws of a superior. Submission of children to their parents is an indispensable duty.
5. Resignation; a yielding of one’s will to the will or appointment of a superior without murmuring. Entire and cheerful submission to the will of God is a Christian duty of prime excellence.
Submitting is an action. It requires strength to perform. Those who think submission a weakness have it all wrong. For a strong person to submit to anyone else requires an act of will.
Sometimes submission means giving up something you love or want. I am specifically thinking of when Paul said not to use our liberty to cause a brother to sin. It could also be applied to a single person giving up marriage to follow the will of God. God is the only one who can tell the future. Because of this, we should submit ourselves to His leading.
To sum up, a Single person does have a responsibility to submit.
- To Christ
- To one another in the fear of God
- To earthly authority that does not conflict with Biblical authority
Submission should not be a dirty word in our lives. It should rather be an act of worship to God and of love to our fellow men. It requires us to be strong emotionally and spiritually.
I have been preaching to myself again, but I hope you are blessed from my thoughts on submission. What do you think about this subject? Please let me know.