BLESSED SUBMISSION

Hebrew 5:7 “During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

During the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted what became known as "the marshmallow test" with four-year-olds in the preschool at Stanford University. The object of the exercise was to assess each preschooler’s ability to delay gratification. Each child was given one marshmallow. They were told that they could eat it immediately or, if they waited until the researcher returned in 20 minutes, they could have two marshmallows. Some kids in the group just couldn’t wait. They gobbled down the marshmallow immediately. The rest struggled hard to resist eating it. They covered their eyes, talked to themselves, sang, played games, even tried to go to sleep. The preschoolers who were able to wait were rewarded with two marshmallows when the researcher returned. Twelve to fourteen years later the same kids were re-evaluated. The differences were astonishing. Those who had been able to control their impulses and delay gratification as four-year-olds were more effective socially and personally as teenagers. They had higher levels of assertiveness, self-confidence, trustworthiness, dependability, and a superior ability to control stress. Remarkably, their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores were also 210 points higher than the "instant gratification" group.

A key difference between successful people — leaders — and those who struggle to get by is self-discipline. As Confucius wrote, "The nature of people is always the same; it is their habits that separate them." Successful people have formed the habits of doing those things that most people don’t want to do.

Jesus lived a disciplined life, and he certainly excelled at a very difficult field, which is the area of submission. Jesus called all of his followers to follow his example by “Taking up the cross daily”. The cross is the ultimate example of submission. It represents Jesus’ willingness to submit to the point of death, his whole life was under the authority of God, and so he was the most influential person to ever walk the face of the earth. To submit involves a large area of service in life. The disciples were having yet another discussion about who among them was the greatest, and Jesus taught them a lesson about submission that they would never forget. They did not yet understand Jesus teaching on submission, and so he demonstrated for them. He took up the job that nobody wanted; he washed the filthy, stinky, dirt-caked-on feet of the disciples and ended the argument about being the greatest.

It is an example of submission that is for the good of everybody. It is seeing the world from another person’s perspective instead of a self-centered world view. It is making other people feel important and loved through an act of service and an attitude of submission. Submission, the way that Jesus thought of it, was never in the context of dominance. It was not an overbearing spouse inflicting their will on the family. It was never the small giving way to the bully. Submission, in Jesus eyes, was becoming the least so that God can use you to do things that are great. Submission should not be thought of in the context of how others should submit to you, but how you should submit to others. Submission is an attitude that shapes actions. It liberates us from having to have it our own way. It frees us from forcing our will on others.

Submission is an attitude. It is a way to approach life. But it is also freedom. You can’t get your way all of the time, so why force it. Instead submit to God, submit to authority, submit to family, submit to your spiritual leaders and submit to each other. Live in the freedom of God’s will for your life.