The Secret to Cheerful Submitting
Face it, none of us likes to submit to an authority who tells us to do something we don’t really want to do.
True story: I once had an easy-going boss who set me free to shine in my job, but he left the company. His replacement was a scowling tyrant. A few days in, he suspected I wasn’t doing anything. “Starting tomorrow, I want you to sit there and write down every hour what you did that hour.” I expressed my hot displeasure at that prospect, and he said, “If I tell you to stand on your head in the corner and spit wooden nickels, that’s what I expect you to do.”
That night, I whined to the Lord how cruel and unfair this was, and who did this man think he was to treat me like that?
In the moment, I knew the only way to get a grip was to read something/anything in my Bible. These verses popped up: Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. (1 Pet. 2:18-21)
It might have been the biggest light-bulb moment of my life. I heard the Lord say inside me, “If I asked you to write down what you were doing every hour, would you do it for me?” I told Him absolutely. I’d do it every 15 minutes for Him if He asked me to. And He impressed on my heart, “Well, I AM asking you to write what you’re doing every hour through your boss.” That changed everything.
I went into the office the next day thrilled to note my every move for the Lord. In fact, my cheerful obedience irritated my boss so much, he asked me to stop doing it after a few hours, and I was actually disappointed I had to stop!
The secret to submitting to a boss, husband, parent, etc. is to look past them and obey “as unto the Lord.” Paul amplifies this in several verses in Ephesians.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ. (Eph. 6:5)
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: (Eph. 6:7)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (Eph. 5:22)
Your authority is put in place by God. Consider Christ’s example. Jesus was challenged to submit to the government officials in a way that not only hurt Him, it killed Him. But He took it. Why? Because Jesus didn’t consider that his personal human will was as important as God’s will. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (Mark 14:36)
Here’s an example of a prayer you could pray when you are struggling to submit (to anything except sin). “Lord, I don’t want to do what I’ve been asked to do, but I do want to obey you. So I’m choosing to yield my will to you because you have personally asked me to obey (my husband, boss, parent, etc.). So, for you, I choose yes. I will obey.”
Do this quietly in your heart before God rather than post it on your mirror, dashboard or computer. Your authorities don’t need to see those words, just your cheerful heart.
R&J Shee