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A Submission Problem
December 15, 2010

During a talk-show interview, a celebrity confessed that she spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours each year on her hair and its styling. She recognized that it had become an addiction and admitted that her problem was “submission to the hair.”

The word submission means “an act of yielding to the authority or control of another.” Because of her desire to look and feel beautiful, this celebrity was allowing her hair to be in control of her life.

This woman’s story could lead us to wonder about our own hearts’ desires and what we’re submitting to. Do we at times want something so badly that we submit to doing anything to get it? Are we submitting to admiration? Possessions? Self? Food? Money? Pleasure?

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul said, “to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves” (6:16). When our desires “war” within us (James 4:1), we are to submit ourselves to God as “slaves of God” (Rom. 6:22).

Humbling ourselves before the Lord (James 4:10) and asking Him to show us our heart will help us to recognize our own submission problems.

Lord, help us to submit to You,
To follow and obey;
And give us strength to fight the urge
To do things our own way. —Sper

True freedom is not in choosing our own way,
but in submitting to God’s way.

Read: James 4:1-10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. —James 4:10

Bible in a year:
Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

Whatever, whoever, is first in our life, is the person or thing we are making an IDOL before God. It is something to consider well. Be it family, health, money, job, status, prestige, power, service, beauty, food, drinking, gambling, or FAME, anything or anyone we put first in our life, is the IDOL we serve.

Service is a desired work. However, it is the motive behind the things we do, that tell us why it is we do it.

Mother Teresa, claimed no recognition. She got down in the slums in India, and lived to offer a clean cot and food as evidence of God's love to the poor and sometimes dying on her door steps. So they could die clean and not alone. Perhaps to save the babies. To be that selfless is why she is a Saint indeed. Many do good works. Thank the LORD for those doing the works of God. It is our hands, feet, voice, words that are the vessels carrying the Lord's Spirit, and love; to do God's work on earth.