Submission is not a very popular word these days, dare I say, for women especially. I was wrestling with a word to describe my Lent experience for today. One of the devotionals I read, which was actually about repentance, summed up its writing by saying something that stuck with me throughout the day. I internalized a small bit of it as, letting God be who He truly is. That sounds a lot like submission to me.
Early this evening I listened to a Facebook Live interview that affirmed the thoughts I had been working through all day. The speaker was actually not talking about God at all. In fact, she was making a concerted effort to refer to the maker of everything living as, Mother Nature. Suffice it to say, I rose above this oversight, and simply heard her speak about how different species of animals have been specifically designed to function in corresponding roles within a natural system. I believe its called ecology. But what caught my attention was the way she was marveling at how beautifully everything works when left to function naturally. Without getting into the whole discussion, I can only say that the same thought returned from this morning, letting God be who He’s meant to be is what works best. Of course! It is marvelous! Letting His creation do what it’s intended to do is best, and is a refection of who He as a creator.
The word submit means “to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person”. It’s about me accepting that God is God and I am not and agreeing that He should have the role that best suits Him. It also means that I should work with Him to let Him re-purpose who I was into who He really wants me to be.
It puts me in mind of a few projects that were worked on at our house this past summer. Like this old dresser that was given to me. It didn’t actually willingly submit to this re-purposing because it doesn’t have a will, but it did yield to the superior force of a whole lot of sanding, and staining, painting, and a little reconstruction. Eventually it became a very handy buffet that is now filled with dishes and linens and can rolled right up to a table for easy serving. Awesome!
I wonder if that’s what God thinks of me when I submit to His work in my life? To bring out the beauty that He made. To make me more relevant. More practical and useful in His kingdom. I hope so!
