Attitude Is Everything

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22      “He committed no sin,

    and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:11-25, NIV)

 

 

REFLECTIONS:

I cringed a bit when I read the topic for this round. Submission has gotten a bad rap, and it’s largely our fault—we have allowed a few people to hijack a perfectly good word! These days the word submission brings to mind power or dominance of one person over another. Biblical submission, though—the kind talked about in the passages we’ve been reading, is much different.

 

The NIV translation titles 1 Peter 2:11-25 as “Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society” and I’m tempted to give some examples of times I felt like a stranger and alien—definitely in India, where I didn’t understand all the laws and cultural norms, but I followed them as best I could with the help of Yesupadam and Monika. Or a time years ago when I worked in a medical office for several doctors, some with questionable character, and I had to decide often what issues were worth speaking up about. But the point of this passage isn’t so much the specific situations as a fringe-benefit of submission found in verse 12: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

 

I can’t read this passage without thinking of Philippians 2:1-18 which talks about Jesus’ own submission to the laws of time, space and the very humanity He created. He didn’t use His kingship to His own advantage and we are told to do likewise:  “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” (Philippians 2:3). Today’s passage contains similar instructions: to “abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul” (verse 11) and “live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil” (verse 16). What kinds of earthly desires can war against the soul and coddle evil? Power, prestige, authority, recognition, independence, anything that tells me I am king of my own life—in short, my rights.  

 

Submission is voluntary humility. It’s a way to honor one another and it’s a choice. When we submit to one another, we allow ourselves to be examined, taught and shaped by more than our own preferences. It is the key to community. One of the foundational teachings in Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is “Happy Holiness”—the attitude that it would be my great joy to give up my right to __________ so I can know Christ more. If (as Galatians 2:20 says) “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live” how much does a dead man fight? Submission is more than just acquiescing; it’s a death to self-interest and a unique way to imitate Christ, who “for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2).

 

I realized I’ve bounced around a lot today but for me this is also foundational and the Holy Spirit took me all kinds of places. What is my attitude, or heart posture toward my brothers and sisters? Is it self-protecting, or am I willing to be re-shaped? Spend some time today asking the Holy Spirit for your own revelation on submission. 

 

 

WHO AM I?

I’m Leigh Anne Bland. Speaking of bouncing (corny I know) this is me last week on the bungee jump thingy in Winter Park, Colorado. I don’t know what I was thinking.