Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (NIV)

Growing up, my older sister would often have the brilliant idea of cleaning up the house for our working mom before she came home. As the eldest, she had no issue doling out the chores that needed completing. Being the stubborn middle kid I was, I hated being told what to do, especially by my sister. After being defied, her stubborn will would kick in, as well, and you can imagine, not much was accomplished. Often, mom was called at work to resolve the conflict, which ruined the surprise. Had I swallowed my pride and done the tasks needed to get the house clean out of love for my mom, not only would the house have gotten clean much faster, but my mom would have also been surprised, as intended.

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Submission is one of those words that for some provokes a visceral reaction. In our modern definition, this word has a negative connotation, which implies someone lording over another and the “lower” of the two “taking it.” This is NOT the picture of submission that we see in Scripture. Submission is simply the act of one person willingly yielding to another. As discussed all through our previous series, Jesus is supreme and has the authority over all things, yet he loves his people so much that he would lay down his life for us. That does not sound like someone demanding me to bring myself low or belittling me in any way. This is a choice I make to yield to his authority, recognizing he is Lord in my life.

If we call Jesus Lord of our lives, we should have no problem submitting to him. But our Scripture today is not just submitting to Jesus alone; rather, it is a call to submit to one another because we love Jesus. Does that make you cringe a bit? If someone has abused this word in your life, the very thought of “submitting” to another human, no matter who it is, likely does not sound like something you want to do. This is where we often get stuck. But true submission is not demanded; it is a choice we make as we pursue unity and harmony with others. When we choose submission, it has more to do with our heart in submitting rather than the person we are submitting to. You may still wonder, but why must I be the one to put myself under another’s authority?

Our scripture answers that question simply: “out of reverence for Christ.” In other words, if you say Jesus is Lord, submission is an act of worship and adoration and honoring Jesus. Let’s be real, submitting to others can be no picnic, but when we look at the definition of reverence, we see words like worship and adoration, not going through the motions begrudgingly with a prideful attitude. We can take pure pleasure in making Jesus smile. Submission is our joyful love for Jesus being exemplified by our humility toward others. As Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

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It is easy to look back and say, “I should have submitted by my sister’s authority out of love for my mom.” I would have also shown my love for Jesus had I done what was asked of me. I will say, bringing this example into my adult world feels a bit harder. I know I cannot be the only one who gets wrapped up in my own agenda and gets bent out of shape when my position or authority is challenged. I know I am guilty of having less than a humble and submissive attitude on more occasions than I care to list. Maybe you too need to have today’s short little verse on the tip of your tongue as you go about your day as a reminder of why we choose to submit to others. I hope this reminder is helpful:  Jesus is Lord. Out of reverence for him and worship of him, I will choose to come under another’s authority. I know Jesus is my authority in all things, and I choose to joyfully submit to him. Where do you need to submit to others out of reverence for Christ today?

Lord, thank you for submitting to the Father’s will in order that we may be saved. Help us to submit to one another out of reverence and love for you. Give us the love and grace we need to think of others more highly than ourselves. Amen.