July 13: Insight Post by Kim Feld
Monday Insight Post
by Kim Feld
My mom was going through some things a while back and came across my elementary school report cards. We laughed as we read some of the comments the teachers had written, but I was struck by things that had been seen in me at an early age. Leadership was one of them. I developed the ability to manage chaos very early in my life. This wasn’t a result of some leadership training I went through; it was “on-the-job” training of living in a chaotic environment. The need to bring order out of chaos ran deep and marked the beginning of what I see as God “working all things for good” in my life (see Romans 8:28). Those traits were perceived as leadership traits.
Although I believe God began working the spiritual gift of leadership out in my life early, any wisdom and humility I have gained have taken time. Let’s take a look at 1 Peter 5:5 from our guide:
In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 (NLT)
I remember as a young leader having a difficult time submitting to the authority of those who were older. I have always felt things strongly, especially what I have seen as “right and wrong.” In my early years, things were very black and white; gray was not even part of the discussion. In remembering some of those times of hard submission, I now see the wisdom of my elders but also the grace that was given to me in my arrogance.
I won’t lie and say that I find submission easy now. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am strong-willed and have a hard time keeping quiet when I feel passionate about something. But somewhere along the line, God has shown me that although He has a standard He wants us to live by, there’s a lot of grace to be found in the gray areas. He continues to teach me that submission to Him must come first; action may flow from that submitted space but only after I have given Him the authority He rightfully deserves.
Proverbs 3:34 and James 4:6 carry the theme of God’s opposition to pride. Additionally, Proverbs 16:18 tells us:
Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)
God-honoring submission is an antidote to pride and helps build humility in us. I desperately need the grace that God promises to give the humble. Let’s continue to explore the practice of submission this month and see what God shows us.
Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
newhope.org