Submission Gives us Direction

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

–John 14:15

As we’ve learned this week, every one of us is under somebody else’s authority. Submission teaches us to obey God and frees us from worrying about things that aren’t our responsibility. A final benefit of submitting to authority is that it gives us direction in life. When I was a youth minister, the most popular question teenagers asked me was how to know God’s will for their lives, such as who they should marry or what college they should attend. Many times, I would answer, “Have you asked your parents?” And the teenagers would look at me as if to say, “What planet did you just step off of? My parents don’t have a clue about anything!”

So I’d play along and ask, “How do you think you’re going to discover God’s will about this issue?” They might say, “By reading the Bible.” I would point out that they could read all the way from Genesis to the maps and probably not find the university they’re supposed to attend or the name of their mate. Then they might say, “I’m going to pray about it.” I’d respond, “That’s good. But how is God going to reveal His answer to you? Is He going to write it in the sky?”

Eventually, they would understand my point: God communicates His will through the authority figures He has set over us, including our parents. Even if an authority figure is not a Christian, God can still work through that person to provide direction. For example, most parents, whether they’re Christian or non-Christian, love their children and know them well, so they can provide good counsel.

In the same way, God often communicates His will for a family through the husband. That doesn’t mean his wife shouldn’t offer suggestions or insights. A wise husband is one who solicits the insights of his wife. And as we’ll study next week, a husband ought to love his wife in such a sacrificial way that she is more than happy to follow his direction.

Let’s be honest: all of us resist the idea of submitting to anyone. But if you cannot submit to the visible authority figures God has placed in your life when they ask you to do something uncomfortable, something you don’t understand, or something you don’t agree with, you’ll find it difficult to submit to God. The bottom line in your relationship with God is your obedience to God. As Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). A freely submitted will is the best expression of love.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Does Your Home Work?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.