Thursday is windy and cold in the shade, but pleasant in the sun under a jacket. I missed Wednesday's post because I was out of town for a court date. But hopefully this post will make up for my absence.
How Powerful Are You?
Power. It's a celebrated word in today's world, especially in the U.S. Power trucks. Power suits. Power ties. Power steering. Okay, maybe that's a stretch. But let's really think about this...everyone seems to want some sort of power. Well, not everyone.
What about submission? Is it as popular in this world, in the U.S.? Of course not! Nobody wants to be in a position where they are required to or forced to submit to someone else. Well, for us believers, that's a problem. Big one. My post the other day was about truly living like a believer. And if you're on a quest for power over other people, from what Jesus said, you're not living like a believer. You're living like a human.
And why is that? Simple. Look at today's Daily Bible Verse:
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Ephesians 5:21
While this verse isn't quoting Jesus directly, it comes from the entire idea that Jesus tried to impress upon his disciples: Serve one another. What did Jesus do at the last supper? He washed the feet of all of his disciples. He actually got down on his knees and washed the feet of each of his disciples. And he told them to think about what he had just done for them. He showed them how to serve one another.
What is submission? Can you serve someone without submitting to them? Can you? I don't think so. It's the basic tenet of service. By truly serving someone else with nothing but good intentions, you are submitting yourself to that person. And what are you specifically submitting to them...
...your power.
Think about your life. How many times a day, week, or month do you let go of your power and submit to another person, be it your wife, significant other, child, parent, sibling, co-worker, the bum on the street? Jesus constantly spoke of serving others and made it clear that the person who serves others is truly living for God.
Read the Daily Bible Verse again.
How can we serve? There's probably only about a million ways. But in my opinion serving is not serving if it's not done with the right frame of heart. Take me for example. I'm a lawyer. I wear a suit and a tie almost every day of the workweek. I work inside and I work with other highly educated people, most of us with a fair degree of power due the nature of our job. There are things I can legally do as a lawyer that a non-lawyer cannot. But if I want to serve someone, I have to submit that power.
Let's think of obvious examples. Volunteer work. Cleaning up after others. Cooking dinner for your neighbors that just had a baby. Mowing the lawn for your church. Just helping your friends or relatives out around their house or with some project. Helping your friends move into their new house. Volunteering at your local school or church. Letting your friend cry on your shoulder after something bad happens to them. Sitting at the hospital with someone you love or maybe you don't even know. The list goes on.
Now let's think of some not-so-obvious examples of submission and service. I have one that I really want you to think about from the standpoint of perspective...kept that in your mind as you read this.
Just yesterday I was in Houston. My client and I walked out of the Criminal Justice Center there in downtown H-town and lo and behold, a street person selling candy for a $1 walked up and wanted to sell me some Peanut M&Ms for a dollar. I told him sorry, no cash on me. But when I got to my car I realized that I had lied to him...I did have cash. Normally I don't carry any on me but this day I actually had some. Realizing my mistake, I had to rectify it.
To get back to that spot on the street where he was I had to go out of my way down a couple of one-way streets, in traffic, completely the wrong direction from where I needed to go. But I realized that I wanted to help that old man. I didn't want the candy, but I wanted to let him know he was important enough to me as a brother in Christ that I would come back. So I submitted my power and I drove out of my way, down a maze of one-way streets, and finally found him. I had to pull over and yell to get his attention. When I finally did, I leaned out my window and handed him the cash. He was so grateful and ecstatic, especially when I refused the candy and let him keep the money.
I'm betting that what he saw it as was me using my "power" to give him something he needed. That's not what it was to me at all. What it was to me was me submitting to him by going out of my way to make sure he got that cash. I honestly felt like I was serving him, not using my power to "give" him something.
My point is that service and submission can take a lot of forms. But the main idea is that we do God's work - love our brothers and sisters. Show them undying, unconditional love and it will be contagious. For some it takes longer to get sick with love than others. But by using God's word and Jesus's example to love, submit to, and serve others, we will make a difference as believers.
Just figure out your way to serve...and do it.
Until tomorrow.
Come Believe...
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