SPIRITUAL TRAINING – Submission
MMA. For those not familiar, that stands for mixed martial arts. Ultimate fighting. Two guys in a ring trying to incapacitate their opponent as quickly as possible while using a variety of very scary and painful moves. I try to imagine myself stepping into one of those caged octagons, facing someone who could kill me in a matter of seconds. The bell would go off, and I would curl up in a ball before he could move and begin sucking my thumb with one hand and tapping the mat impressively fast like a wood pecker with the other hand. Sound like I am a wimp? I think it sounds like I am very smart.
When I hear the Christian concept of submission, unfortunately that is where my brain goes… to MMA. For me the term has an immediate negative reaction. Submit to a powerful force bent on your destruction.
If any man would come after me,
he must deny himself,
take up his cross
and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
he must deny himself,
take up his cross
and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
Where this analogy breaks down quickly is that God is not bent on my destruction, He is bent on my redemption. When I submit, I give up the burden of having to have things my way, and my way will lead to destruction. God’s way leads to life. Although I can write this down easily enough, the reality is I still put up a pretty good fight… often to make things go my way. I try to last in that octagon and wrestle with a God that loves me and wants what’s best for me. For what?
Where are you fighting with God this week? Where do you need to deny yourself, curl up in a ball, tap the mat and let God win? It’s not wimpy, it’s smart!
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