Submit

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

E P H E S I A N S 5 : 2 1

I have a dear friend who says, “Submission is when you give in when you don’t agree. If you agree, then it is agreement, not submission.” Given this definition, it seems that this verse is admonishing us as believers to submit to one another. One of the things I love best about the First Place 4 Health program is that we are in a small group with like-minded people who are all endeavoring to give Christ first place in our lives. Yet I believe our groups would be even better and stronger if we practiced the truth of this verse. I have learned submission by working with my trainer, Donna. When we first began working together, I quickly found out who was the boss. One morning, early in our friendship, I told Donna that I was so sore from the previous workout that every time I had turned over in bed, it had woken me up. Donna cheerfully replied, “Well, let’s get to work!” I submitted to her knowledge and authority, and at the end of our hour together, I felt so much better that my soreness was almost gone. Another day, I tripped over a piece of exercise equipment and turned my ankle. Donna had me lie down on a bench while she ran for an ice pack. When the pack was on my elevated ankle, Donna said, “Cross your arms over your chest and do some crunches.” When I  protested, Donna said, “There’s no reason to waste time. I have ice on your ankle.” I love Donna so much that I willingly submit to her authority in my life. I believe that the truth of Ephesians 5:21 is that as believers, we need to cultivate friendships with other believers who are ahead of us on some level. It might be
spiritual, mental, emotional or physical. In my relationship with Donna, I acknowledge that she is way ahead of me in strength training, so I submit to her, knowing that she will not hurt me in any way. The secret is to submit “out of reverence for Christ,” and it will be easy to “give in when you don’t agree.”

Action Item: If there is an area of your life that needs help from someone who is further down the road than you are, call that person today and ask him or her to mentor you. Be ready to submit to this person “out of reverence for Christ.”

Written by Carole Lewis in Better Together, a book of daily devotions for the year.  Looking for a devotion book for 2013?  You can get Better Together here:  Better Together.