July 31: Insight Post by Rachel Cleveland
Friday Insight Post
by Rachel Cleveland
I have always been known as a strong-willed individual. From childhood to today, the word submission has been difficult for me to even read some days. Even in the context of submitting to God, it is hard. It’s tough. Not just because it requires releasing my own wants, desires, plans, and control to Him, but because it actually requires something from me. It takes work to submit. Hard work, if we are being honest.
This week’s reading reminded me that submission takes active participation on my part. I’m not just sitting around, submitting and waiting for God to show up to do what He has claimed He will do. I think people often confuse submission with just throwing their hands up and saying, "Well, whatever happens, happens." But submission isn't the removal of my strong will; rather, it’s the redirection of it. God doesn't want to break my spirit; He wants to channel it.
He wants me to continually come back to Him, to stay connected, and to be so finely in tune with what He is doing that distractions go unnoticed. When we actively submit, we aren't just working through a spiritual discipline and resisting the bad; we are actively pursuing the good. We open ourselves up to the very power God is providing for us: power to resist the devil (James 4:7), to find rest (Psalm 91:1), and to live forever with Him (Hebrews 12:9).
Those are some outrageous claims to try and accomplish on my own. In fact, experiencing these promises is impossible without active submission to God. By submitting, I am positioning myself to receive these outrageous promises as the gracious gifts they were always intended to be.
Practically speaking, what does the “hard work” of active submission actually look like?
Maybe it is pausing before reacting to an annoying email. Or waking up 10 minutes earlier to pray when you'd rather sleep. Or finding small ways to put your partner’s—or coworker's—needs before your own.
Take a minute today to think about the acts of submission and the micro-habits you could practice this week. What is one small step you can take to align yourself with the power God is so graciously offering to you?
Rachel Cleveland
Worship Team Volunteer
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org