Understanding Submission

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. Hebrews 12:9-10


God cannot be understood by logical reasoning but only by submission. – Tolstoy

(This is the first installment in a series called ‘Quotes of Faith’ – great quotes from great individuals on Faith)

Sometimes people can be hypocritical not knowingly but just out of sheer blindness. I have been rather upset with my daughter over something she had recently done. Yes, she knew it was not a wise choice, and it had created some distance between us. When my wife and I talked about it, my anger and frustration grew. The more I reflected on it, the worse it became. There was one point where I began to question whether I had begun to question if I had taught her the right things or was not clear in her upbringing. It was then that I came across this quote from Tolstoy. Yes, my concern was still there, but my perspective had changed. In remembering many of my writings on forgiveness, here I was threatening to hold my daughter hostage to the spirit of anger that had overcome me. I had certainly done far worse in my life that my Heavenly Father had forgiven me for, and here I was showing the very lack of mercy that had been shown me in restoring my relationship with God himself. Realizing this, a calm set over me, and suddenly my anger, frustration, and bitterness soon disappeared. By submission, God took over and replaced my anger with natural and parental love for my daughter.

Submission is one of those things that we all know about, but in the heat of the moment can be so easily forgotten. When that car cuts us off unexpectedly, we might have that feeling of anger and resentment. Perhaps we feel hurt because of something another person did to us or someone we know. Perhaps we have found an enemy, and the enemy is us! We may be struggling with something in our lives that distances us from God, and feel a level of shame and guilt. In all of these cases, we are in some form or another not in submission to God’s will. Whereas our initial reaction to the car is with anger, submission wills us to respond with understanding. When our hurt drives us to avenge, submission requires us to show love and forgiveness. And when we are struggling with sin, submission pushes us to rebuke and discipline ourselves to move forward and grow in our faith.

Tolstoy clearly had a keen insights on God’s will, and put it in such a way that its meaning challenges not only those who are not believers but also those of us who are fully fledged Christ followers. God‘s asking may not be the most logical thing from our perspective, but we know He is just and righteous. He is perfect in all things, and it is through our submission to His will that we gain true knowledge of not only His presence in our lives but also His divine wisdom. No one said it would be easy, but anything worthwhile rarely is. Let us rejoice in realizing that God neither expects us to be perfect nor does He expect us to understand everything. He only asks us to submit, and in submission as Tolstoy said, we will find understanding. Amen.