Submit

DEVOTION
EPHESIANS
SUBMIT
Eph 5:21
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
NIV
Well now doesn’t that just put the icing on the cake! The whole following dissertation about wives, husbands, children, fathers, masters and slaves has this sort of title starting it all out. What am I do make of this? It would seem all of the following is needless in light of this one simple phrase. If I submit to others, and they submit to me we would be a bunch of submitters, without leadership. But I do not think this speaks exactly about that type of submission. I think in some sense it refers to the spiritual rather than the physical. To be subordinate to each other in the spirit carries all types of implications for me. It can be applied to being transparent with before others. I certainly do not believe I should stand before the whole of the church and lay out every transgression in my life. But I do think within the context of this submit I would have a close brother in Christ who knows all my faults and I his. I question arises as to what do we do with that information. Forgiveness includes never bringing it up again. I think I have been victim to having some things dragged out and taken for a spin around a discussion from time to time. I think I might have done this as well, not so with a brother in Christ but with those closer to me. But I ramble I think, and may be off the beaten path regarding submitting to one another. Yet that is certainly part of it. I do think the Word also speaks to not being an overbearing spiritual bully, beating others over the head with the Bible. Lording any position of leadership over others, remember that Christ who is the ultimate leader and head of the body washed his disciples’ feet. He said he did not come to be served but to serve. This is to submit, to put others ahead of self. I believe I can say I do live to serve those I love. But what about those I just don’t like? If they are among the ‘one another’ I just might be in trouble. This is beyond family and loved ones; this includes all of the body of Christ. I am not sure I have that much of a servant’s heart. Is it because of pride? Is it due to thinking more highly of myself than I ought to? Am I willing to lay down my life so another can live? Tough questions which require more prayer and reflection, resulting in more change within my being I think. Do I really want to be more life Christ, or are those just words? Why does my old self keep fighting so hard? It needs to submit to my new self, and this is one case where my new self need not submit to this other. So much to do in order to comply with this one word, submit.