Submission

      In our society submission is not a popular belief to hold. It is ridiculed as ancient and not holding to our contemporary standards. In the age of political correctness, we are labeled as hate mongers when we teach and preach submission, but what does submission really mean and should it be practiced today.  

     Biblically speaking, submission is willingly placing yourself under the will or authority of another person. It’s clear that in our society today this word carries with it a certain stigma of inequality or inferiority. This is mostly due to the rise of feminist ideology in our western culture. It is viewed as weakness or failing to live up to our potential.

     Many are opposed to the idea of submission because it goes hand in hand with humility. We are a prideful people so anything requiring humility will naturally go against the natural (selfish) desires of the heart. 

     However, it is absolutely unbiblical to view submission in this way. Biblical submission is making less of ourselves to do what is best for the Kingdom of God. It has absolutely nothing to do with inequality or inferiority. This is most clearly seen in the life of Jesus:

     Jesus said in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” 

     Nobody, with a right view of Jesus, would accuse Him of being inferior to God the Father. Nobody, with a right view of Jesus, would accuse Him of being unequal with God the Father. 

     Philippians 2:5-7- “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”

     This text not only shows us that the willful submission of Christ to God the Father, in no way, made Him lesser in any sense of the word. Furthermore, it specifically tells us to have the same mindset of Christ.

     The fact is, we all have someone we are to submit to:
          To each other- Ephesians 5:21
          To our spouse- Ephesians 5:22-31
          To our parents- Ephesians 6:1-3
          To our employers- Ephesians 6:5-8
          To our government- Romans 13:1-7
          To God- James 4:7

    Submission is good, right, and biblical. It is not a sentence of a lesser life- it is following in the footsteps of Jesus to walk in His example.