Submission

While visiting Dallas this week, we worshipped at Potter’s House in Dallas with Bishop TD Jakes, it was awesome, and we had a great time. I have always wanted to visit Potter’s House and experience it live and I was not disappointed at all. The Bishop was there while the praise and worship was phenomenal.

Bishop taught on Submission, whenever I have heard sermons on submission it  is usually from a marriage perspective. I thought that was the angle he was going to teach from, oh boy! Was I wrong?

“For women at times, we don’t want to hear another sermon on submission. I don’t have issues with that topic at all; I learnt years ago that you cannot submit to a man until you submit to God first”

There is an order in the Kingdom of God and God is always first, not your husband, not your wife, not even your children, certainly not your parent or your job.

Whether you like it or not, when you take up a job, you are automatically in submission to that company you work for. Sometimes we want the job but do not want to play by their rules and conditions; we do not want to do what it takes to earn the salary. We also encounter opposition at work from the people we have to work with; this is part of the lesson we have to learn in submission. You might not like your colleague but you have to work with them in order to earn an income or to produce results.

Being in submission is not always easy, it stretches us in ways we do not want to deal with. There is pain and discomfort to endure in submission. Yet, we have to stay in our position in total submission for a season; Seasons are never permanent, so stay in submission where God has placed you for now.

Several positions you might find yourself in submission

God – When we give our lives to God and accept to live for Him, we are in submission to His ways and will. We live by His rules in accordance to the bible. It is a walk with Christ not a sprint; it takes time, patience and a lot of dying to self and growing. Surrendering our life to God gives Him the permission to intervene and fight our battles because He is an orderly God.

Marriage – True submission can only come through God, when we submit our lives to God, He has our backs even if you are being abused or taken advantage of, He makes our filthy rags pure, He turns our tears in joy, He turns what was meant for evil, to good. Once we get the foundation right, which is building our marriage on God and counting the cost of building before you say I do. Knowing who you are is so critical to submission because if you know who you are then there is nothing anyone can tell you about you that you do not already know.

Work – Your employer is above you when you take up a job with the company, they have ways things should be done, every company have rules and guidelines that should be followed. If you intend to keep your job, you had better abide by it. Jacob experienced this when he worked for Laban

Mentoring – Many people want mentors but are not willing to submit to their mentors. The role of a mentor is to nurture, motivate, direct, guide and speak the truth into your life. What if they are saying what you don’t like? Is that the time to check out? That is what you signed up for, you already have people in your life telling you how great you are, how bad can it be to put up with one person that is telling you the cold and bitter truth. Stick it out! there is wisdom in multitude of counsels.

Parenting – This part is the hardest for us all. As children, we are to submit to our parents, regardless of what we think. Parents know a lot by virtue of the fact that that they have lived more than we have. Usually they are right too, in time everyone comes to see that they are. We are only children for a season and that too shall pass, going through this period can be as easy or as difficult as we make it. Majority of our parents are great and considerate if we can only work with them, there are major benefits and lessons to be learnt. You are not going to be living at home forever; they do not want you home forever either!.

Training – For any training to be successful, it helps if there is a good working partnership/relationship. You signed up for training because you believed they have some knowledge to pass on to you, otherwise you will not be there. We are not in training forever, at least not with the same person. Remember what you signed up for and use that season wisely, stay focused on your goals and achieve the result you want.

Church – When you become a member of a church, you are automatically in submission to the head of the church, Christ. Followed by the pastor of the church, the ways of the church is different from the ways of the world. You cannot bring your corporate,secular, or carnal  mentality to the church because it will not work. You have to learn their ways and follow protocol.

Leadership –Leaders also are in submission to someone else. Jesus Christ was in submission to God, and He is our greatest example on the demonstration of what true submission was. Every great leader must have someone who they are accountable to. True leadership involves the readiness to lay down one’s life to serve others for a higher purpose and greater good.