ICS Daily Devotions
Submit Yourself
Peter 2:13,18-20 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme… Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
This is applicable to any of us who are under an institution, government, king, or employer. Ranking or positions in any organization is God’s ordained structure of authority. God takes it personally whether we submit to someone that He has set over us. We are to submit to them as the Lord instructs us even when we have been doing good and yet suffer for it, because this is commendable to God. At best, it is not easy for the flesh to submit, but to make the matter worse, the Lord said to submit to those who are harsh! You may wrongfully and experience grief. But God will vindicate you.
Heb 13:7, 17 “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct…. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
People are generally rebellious against authorities and people who rule because the flesh does not like being told what to do. But in the case of Hebrews 13, the authority referenced belongs to a preacher or teacher of the Word, and the Word encourages us to obey and submit. Why? Because pastors watch out for our souls. Ultimately, it’s at least in part for our well-being that we have been instructed to submit.
Beware the pride that arises in the soul, at times it is very subtle. It is not easy to submit when the person that you are supposed to submit to is less capable or educated than you. To be able to submit to authority we must also understand and separate the person who is in authority and the position of authority itself. It is easy to submit to a person who is nice, full of knowledge and capable, but it is very difficult to submit to someone who is not that easy to work with or who is harsh. If he is harsh, brash and difficult, then it is God’s job to deal with him.
It is important that we understand that we still need to submit to that person, if only because he occupies a position of authority and we are not. If we separate the position of authority from the person in authority, then it may be easier to submit to the person in authority; though we may have difficulty submitting to a person who is incompetent or harsh, we will find it easier to submit to a position of authority. To submit, we have to yield our will. God will give us grace to do so.
Series: King David’s Men
