Submission Only Counts if You're Strong Enough

Before I begin with today's thought, I have to tell you that while I'm committed to finishing the book I've been reading (Seven Seasons of a Man's Life), I'm having a difficult time focusing on it.  Frankly, its boring.  But I'm going to continue and glean what wisdom I can from it.  The devotional I'm using (Moments with the Savior) is minimally better and at least each day's reading is short.  I felt like I needed to add something to my daily reading that would inspire and cause me to feel something (because I'm in the feelings business after all) so I am adding a chapter or two from Mike Yaconelli's Getting Fired for the Glory of God.  And am I glad I did.

Today I read the story of a volunteer who reluctantly went with his youth group to the nursing home and fell in love with an old man who was dying.  I'm a sap for stories like this anyway, but man oh man did I weep at the end of it.  You should really check out all of Mike's books.  Its a shame he passed so soon.

OK, so this idea of submission has been recurring over and over the last few days in my reading and in my thoughts.  God has called us all into submission to His will and into obedience to Him.  That should not be news to any of us.  But sometimes I think my mental health perspective brings a unique idea to the table that many Christians and our leaders don't fully grasp.

Submission only means something if you have an modicum of self-esteem.

See, many people that grow up in the church have their self-worth beaten out of them in the name of God.  I can't tell you the number of clients that have come to see me who struggle with issues of shame over who they are because religion made them feel bad.

Guilt is what you feel when you've done something wrong. Its healthy and its what keeps us morally centered.  But shame is when we feel bad about who we are. 

One of my very best friends in college and I would debate the idea of free will vs. predestination.  He wasn't entire Calvinistic in his belief system, but his lack of self-esteem caused him to believe the misnomer than he - as a man - was unable to make the choice to follow God on his own without God doing it for him.  I take exception to that viewpoint for a couple of reasons.

One, if man is created in the image of God then I believe its fair to assume that we can and should be able to do good things.  On our own.  Out of our own free will.  Secondly, while it feels nice to have a dog love you so so much its not the same as when a spouse or best friend does the same.  That dog really doesn't have the mental processes that a human does in making that choice.  I believe that God - in his infinite wisdom and because we are similar to Him in many ways - also wants us to CHOOSE to love and follow Him.  He could make us do it but I imagine it is nicer for us to choose to do so.

I totally value the ideas my friend was holding to.  He was submitting to God as supreme ruler.  I, of course, believe that to be true.  But I also believe that God created in us the ability to make choices and to good or to do bad.  And as such when we choose to submit to Him out of a place of strength it means a whole lot more than someone who has had their self-image devastated by the world.

We need to get ourselves to a place of healthy self-esteem in order that our choice to live humbly in accordance with God's desire and commands will truly be one of submission.

PRAYER: God, I come to you this morning in awe of your mighty power.  I look outside and see the snow on the ground and hear the school closings and think about how You have the ability to change our world upside down through nature.  Yet You choose to allow us to continue to live in this sinful place in the hopes that we will accept Your grace.  Give us the strength to see ourselves the way You see us, Father, as good people who often times do bad things instead of bad people who can't do good things.  Heal our shame, God, while keeping our consciences intact.  Keep us safe from the ourselves and from each other and continue to bless us as You do so often.  In Your Holy Son's Name, Amen.

READING: The Seven Seasons of a Man's Life by Patrick Morley - Chapter 4 "The Search for Meaning and Purpose", Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire - "An Intimate Moment with Mary", Getting Fired for the Glory of God by Mike Yaconelli - "Ten Easy Steps to Guarentee a Successful Youth Ministry" and "Please Say Goodbye to Jesus for Me"