7 Healthy Steps to Submitting to God
7 healthy steps to submitting to God. What does it mean to submit to God? Let’s see what the Bible teaches us.
Mathematics
I was not a great math student. I struggled to understand how math applied to my everyday living. When asked a mathematical question, I always feel like breaking out in hives… not pretty!
Does this sound familiar?
Approximately 40% of the world’s population hate math, whilst there is a larger percentage that dislikes the subject. Thankfully, I am sure that God won’t be giving us any crazy math tests when we go to heaven and today, my simple math won’t scare you.
The basics in math
The basics that you may hear frequently in math is that 1+1=2. Submission is usually the basic and easiest for many of us. Today though I want to reflect on another meaning of submission.
Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines submission as the condition of being submissive, humble, or compliant; an act of submitting to the authority or control of another.
Many persons are not comfortable with the word or act of submission. That is why the idea of submitting to God may not be an easy decision. The bible has several references to submission that may be seen in these word forms: submit, obey, surrender, subject to, humbled, subordinate, [being] weak, and afflicted.
My reflections of submission arose from my desire in understanding how to live the best life possible while here on this earth. Like many of you, my schedule, if I allow it, can become very uncontrollable. And as I was searching for bible verses to ensure balance and resisting the desire to give in to building a perfect schedule of ‘busy-ness’, which is such an easy trap to fall into, I felt led to this verse:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
‘Submit’ struck a chord within me. To resist the traps set out for me, I had to subtract things from my life so that I could submit to God. I didn’t want to just add God to my life by fitting Him into my schedule but submitting to Him wholeheartedly so that His will was the central theme of my schedule building.
7 Steps to Submitting to God
In order to submit to the authority of Christ, I knew I had to take some steps and they included:
1) Prayerfully going to God and seeking His forgiveness, wisdom and guidance. Not just once a day but all day seeking Him first in prayer.
2) Searching, thirsting after and being quenched by His Word to store it within my heart (Psalm 119:11)
3) Being content with what I have, my life and my family. I am blessed… I don’t need the approval of mankind to be content in my blessings.
4) Living a life of worship. Every free space of time that I have, I listen to sermon podcasts or Christian music to just honour, worship and glorify His holy name.
5) Recognizing that to submit, I have to give up the need to control my life and willingly give it all over to God.
6) When asked to do something, or add something to my schedule, I have to stop my first reaction of saying yes, but asking them for time to respond and having the courage to say “No” when God advises me so and keep on saying “No” even when the other party lays on the guilt trip.
7) Just being in love with Him and thankful that I was chosen by the one true living God!
Food for thought
Are we just adding God to our lives, or are we submitting to him? Let’s put to practice the 7 steps to submitting to God.
Prayer: Holy Father, I don’t want to just add you to my life. I want to submit. Forgive me for my controlling attitude and neglect of not putting you first. Your word in 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that you “opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble”. Teach me, Lord, to submit to your will and yours alone. In Jesus name. Amen
May the God of peace, mercy and grace be with you.
