A Submissive Heart
To understand what a submissive heart is, we must first understand what it means to submit.
Submit: to yield to governance or authority
Therefore, a submissive heart is one that recognizes that it is not its own authority. Rather, it makes the decision to yield itself to the authority of God.
The best illustration of a submissive heart was given by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21 – 32(KJV):
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Take note of the last verse: ‘ but I speak concerning Christ and the church.’ Apostle Paul was giving the church a mirror of how it should yield itself to the authority of Christ. This should be the state of the church, and as we know, the church is not a building, rather the church is you and me.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)
We each have a role to play in the body of Christ, His church. But we must individually decide to submit to the Lord’s authority.
The Lord is not forceful. If He were, He would have forced salvation on all creation. Instead, He gives each of us the discretion to make decisions. Therefore, your decision to submit is purely yours and no-one else. You decide to live your life under His authority.
God Really is Your Authority
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:15-18 (NIV)
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Colossians 1:15-18 (NIV)
Your Turn:
As a born again Christian, your authority is Jesus Christ. He is your Lord and Saviour. But, He will not force you to submit to Him. You must make that decision for yourself.
Will you daily submit to His authority by acting on His Word?
And if you are not born again, will you choose to make Him Lord and Saviour over your life? If your answer is yes, say this prayer :
Father, I thank You for the gift of salvation. In accordance to Romans 10:9, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. He is now my Lord and my Saviour. Thank You Father.
If you said this prayer, welcome to the family ☺🙌🙌🙌
We are pleased to have you. Please join a Bible-based church, that will help you to grow in your newfound faith.And also, learn more about Jesus whom you have professed. You can start this by reading the Gospel of John.
God bless you.