Obedience & Servanthood
You know, everyone Jesus served was "less" than him. No matter how highly He might've thought of Himself - and He didn't, since He walked in real humility, but let's pretend - He just didn't hold people's inferiority against them.

• Right now, you might have a boss who's an idiot - but you still are called to serve and be obedient.
  
• Right now, ladies, your husband might be a total jerk - but you're still called to submit.
  
• Right now, men, your wife might not understand - but you're still called to submit back to her needs and to purify her in the Word.
  
• Right now, kids, I know that your parents just do not get you - but whatever their shortcomings, you still honor and respect.
  
• Right now, you're mad at the officer who pulled you over on the way to work this morning just to fill his quota of speeding tickets for the week - but he's just doing his job, leadfoot, and he's to be respected, as well as the law he's supposed to be representing.

No one likes to talk about obedience, and when we do, it's watered down with the notion that we're not-perfect-just-forgiven. But what we're missing is that we're not submitted to God, who's infinitely above what we might think of ourselves, and as a consequence we're not submitted to each other - and others are almost always inferior to our prideful selves.

We don't submit to each other, because those around us are inferior to our own egos. Or, we submit in unhealthy ways, out of fear or abuse or bondage. and we don't submit to God, thinking that He understands that we're not perfect and that He forgives us when we're stubborn. The news is that He does forgive, but He also graces the change, giving us the ability to submit in Christ to God and to those "over" us - and to those in need.

We're to be servants. Period. And that means that we're to be submissive. To each other (Ephesians 5:15-21). Period.
- posted by Rick @ 09:11