Week 5: Submission

Well... that sums it all up. 


Ha but really, two things hit home for me in this week's devo... 


Number One: "submission affirms the heart of Christ in us; submission transforms
a bland, dark world with salt and light" 
I love the word "affirm". It brings back such great memories of "affirmation circles" on youth group retreats and learning how to affirm my friends throughout our days in high school. In this case, I could not agree more with the fact that submission affirms the heart of Christ in us. I cannot, and would rather not, imagine where I would be if I had not given my life over to Christ and let myself submit to his will. Humans are often incessantly prideful and have the "my way or the highway" attitude. When we invite Christ into our lives, we are called to give up this prideful way of thinking/living and to absolutely surrender our minds, hearts and actions over to God and His work here on earth. This earth that is, indeed, bland and dark without the light and hope of Christ. What a joy it is to be God's chosen people! What a joy it is to be chosen to lead the way of His coming! What a joy it is to be slaves to our loving Father. However, this is certainly not an easy and comfortable joy. Just look at Paul's life, and Peter's and John the Baptist's lives. Not easy or comfortable. Yet they were SO full of the joy of the Lord and are inspiring examples of what it means to be a slave to Christ. They "aspired to slavery", which brings me to my next topic...


Number Two: "13. Aspiring to slavery."
I have never thought to aspire to be God's slave. Such a weird, crazy thing to aspire to, don't you think? A slave...  And yet, if I think about a slave as being "a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another", I cannot think of anything else I would rather be. I cannot think of something greater that I could aspire to be. 


Lord, help me to truly take joy in my bondage to you. Help me to pour that joy out over those that I meet. Let your light shine through me as I do my best to lead the way of your coming. For my heart is yours, now and forever, and I know that I am empty, dry and bland without you. Let my words and actions flow from me with submission to you. 


Until my heart looks like your heart.


Amen.