Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
The final item on the list of my “Big 4” is submitting to authority.
This has been such a powerful lesson in my life. I always feel so weird talking about this as a pastor because I know that people think it sounds self-serving. I thought it sounded self-serving when I first heard my pastor talk about it. “Well, of course you want me to submit to your authority. It’s good for you, but what about me?”
Now I think back on those thoughts and I hear how immature I sounded. My first thought, of course, was me. My pastors never asked me to come under any abuse or control. In fact, for some reason that I will never understand, they entrusted an inexperienced college student with leadership and influence. They actually empowered me to lead and caused me to stretch my capacity. But in the process they absolutely and unapologetically required submission.
What does submission mean? Sub means under. Sub-mission simply means “under the mission.” Each church (or organization, if you want to apply this to your job) has a mission. Of course we all have the same mission, broadly speaking, of reaching the lost, making disciples, worshiping God, etc. But each church walks that out in a unique way. Some people call this the church “culture.” This is the “pattern” that Stovall talked about on Leadership Wednesday (first Wednesday of each month) in January.
When you decide to become a leader in a church (remember, this series of posts is about leadership lessons), you need to make sure that you understand and agree with its mission because there will be a time when you have to put aside your own opinions and desires in order to come under the mission of the church and move the whole forward at your own expense or discomfort.
I’m sure that any of our leaders could give you examples of this. But in the end, submission makes us pliable because it stretches us and enlarges us on the inside. Coming under authority with a gracious spirit makes us more humble and effective leaders when we are put in a place of leadership.
3 Comments
Amen Pastor.
I love Celebration Church for the overall vision/mission - of attracting the lost and raising mature disciples in an enviornment of love and acceptance. Complete submission means denying yourself and your wants for the vision/mission.
Submission is probably the absolute single hardest lesson that God took me through - that God takes anyone through. It’s easy to submit when it’s looks fun or attractive or feels right or you look like you’re coming out on top or getting “you go girl”s. But when you are truly submitting, you can get overlooked, not get any credit, and even feel forgotten.
I think it is a lesson that we are confronted with over and over again because our nature rebels against it so much. Our full maturity comes when we see a “submit-moment” coming and don’t even flinch at the cost or “dying to self” it will take.
It’s kind of like “faithful in little - ruler over much”. Submit with the little things and behold, you get to graduate and submit with larger things. Hahahahaha. But it’s such a good thing and a much feerer way to live life. A happier way to live life.
Preach it.
Pastor Kerri,
I love your blog! Before I got the divine revelation of godly submission, (thankfully before I got married :), it was such a negative concept to me. I guess I thought it was the mindless acquiescence of my will to the whims of another person. My husband makes fun of me because I had ‘Rosie the Riveter’ on my wall in my college dorm room and I was more than a little abrasive when it came to women’s rights. Part of that abrasiveness stemmed from the fear of being a doormat if I submitted and didn’t assert myself, but that is propaganda from the enemy. I somehow misconstrued stubbornness for confidence.
As I began to study submission, I saw that Jesus had no other purpose than to submit to the will of the Father and I really prayed that God would change my heart and my attitude towards it…and He did! Submission is more than obedience, it’s also a response to love patterned after Christ’s relationship with the church. You are so right that at times we will have to put our thoughts, opinions and feelings at the disposal of a person in authority over us, and our flesh resists that yielding but it is so necessary if we are to be the women God has called us to be.
Melinda and Mercy — Thanks so much for your comments. This was such a big thing in my life. I used to have the same attitude as you, Mercy. I love what you said about submission being a response to love. Love you guys!