Submit Yourselves, Then, To God

Series: The Reign of God in Our Hearts

My husband is a Teddy Roosevelt enthusiast. He loves history in gen-eral, but within the past couple of years, he has discovered TR and all his eccentricities, and he is completely hooked. There are many, many wonderful quotes I have gleaned from his fascination with our former president, but the one you hear most often in our household is, ―Say ‘I can,‘ and you‘re halfway there!

We say this to each other, most often in jest, because it seems like such a ridiculous stretch. I mean, a positive attitude is great, but it in no way equals half of a daunting task. In regards to faith, though, and one‘s personal walk with Jesus, I believe this type of simplicity is more predominant than many people (especially young Christians) realize.

James says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and He will come near to you” (James 4:7). These verses radiate the simplicity of a Christian life that seems to elude so many. Such a great deal of a righteous life has to do with one‘s will, or resolve – NOT with one‘s feelings. God does not expect that we always ―feel close to Him. Rather, He asks that we come near to [Him]– that we pray, read scripture, attend church, serve others and allow the gospel to express itself through us – all in order to give Him the opportunity to meet us halfway.

Similarly, God does not require that we always ―feel toward our spouses as we did on our wedding day. What a relief that is! He instead expects us to remember the promises we made to love and honor. Then we must submit our will to those vows. And when it comes to feeling charitable toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, the same principle applies. As C. S. Lewis states in his book Mere Christianity: “Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

We allow ourselves to become so wrapped up in what we are feeling that we forget that God doesn‘t care (entirely) about our complicated and fickle emotions. He just wants our will. Now, surrendering to Him is not a one-time act – we must do so over and over every day for the rest of our lives. And practice helps, but doesn‘t make perfect. Just don‘t waste time obsessing over ―feeling the way a Christian ought to. Simply submit your will to your God, and give Him the chance to meet you halfway. It really is that simple.

(Author unknown)

Prayer: O God, who can discern his errors? Forgive our hidden faults. Keep us from willful sins; may they not rule over us. May our hearts reach for your thoughts and be shaped by your calling of us so that your likeness can be seen in us. Amen.