Submission is such an interesting word. Anybody who has ever parented children knows there is a difference between submission and compliance. Compliance does what has to in order to get you off my back. Submission embraces the heart and intent behind the request being made.
The Biblical idea of submission is about a lifestyle of humility, love and service to others as our personal ministry to Jesus.
Rom 12:5 we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. NAS
God’s family is a family of forgiven, dysfunctional people. Our mistakes are frequent and our love is imperfect. But we are still the bride of Christ. Even in church’s imperfection our spiritual well-being is tied to our submission to her.
You should treat others as if your spritual-well being is tethered to relationships - because it is. Consistently Submitting is about cultivating a greater awareness of other people’s lives.
Perhaps this is why Jesus, the man who knew everything, is known and recognized as the man who constantly asked questions. Life’s not about having all the answers. Life is about asking the right questions.
Jesus truly was the know it all! Ever been around somebody that always has to “one up” the conversation? Jesus could have easily mastered every conversation so why did he waste time asking questions? The ultimate example of a loving relationship is to inquire and care about others.
Great relationships are not about having all the answers. Great relationships are about asking the right questions. You can make more friends in two months by being interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get others interested in you.
As you look in on the lives of others practice the perspective of the hummingbird and avoid that of the buzzard. Buzzards fly over the desert searching out dead decaying carcasses while hummingbirds look for sweet nectar of the beautiful wild flowers. Both find what they are looking for in the same desert. We all tend to find what we look for in life.
Andrew Carnegie, “Finding greatness in an individual is a lot like mining for gold. When you go into the mine you realize that you will have to move a ton of dirt to find an ounce of gold. However, you never go to the mine looking for the dirt. You always go to the mine looking for the gold!”
The enemy works to cultivate disappointment and disunity because he hates community. God is a Trinity, a community of love, communication & respect. We are created in the image of Community God. It is a huge myth is that you can become spiritually mature on your own. We can only grow correctly in community. Americans have gotten so into isolation that we don’t believe this.
Rom 12:4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. (Message)
We bring GP2RL:
Reach out to somebody in the Destiny family you don’t know very well and connect further in some way. Attending a Community Group is a great way to get this started.