The Beauty in Surrender
The Beauty in Surrender
Have you ever found yourself speaking negatively about others, making plans without considering God's will, or knowing what's right but not doing it? These are all areas where we struggle with submission to God, and James addresses them directly in his letter.
What Does It Mean to Submit Your Speech to God?
James has been building a case throughout his letter about the importance of our words. In chapter 4:11-12, he directly addresses how we speak about others:
"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge."
When we tear down other believers with our words, we're actually:
The Rise of "Discernment Ministries"
In recent years, there's been an increase in what some call "discernment ministries" - groups that spend their time pointing out the theological errors of others, particularly those outside their own theological circles. While discernment is important, we must be careful about tearing down the bride of Christ.
Acts 20:28 reminds us that the church was "purchased with his own blood." How dare we speak evil against what Christ purchased at such a high price?
How Do We Submit Our Plans to God?
James continues in verses 13-14:
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
The Illusion of Control
We often make plans with complete confidence, forgetting that:
What Will Your Legacy Be?
Every gravestone has three things: a birth date, a death date, and a dash between them. We're all living in that dash right now. What will people remember about you?
As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God's plans for us are "plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Those plans sound pretty good, don't they?
Why Is Obedience the Ultimate Form of Submission?
In verses 15-17, James concludes:
"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
Submitting to God in obedience means:
The Example of Jonah
Remember Jonah? God called him to go to Nineveh - the capital of the brutal Assyrian empire known for torturing their enemies. Instead, Jonah fled to Tarshish.
God doesn't call us to easy places. He often calls us to difficult, challenging roads. But obedience means going anyway, trusting that God's plan is better than our own.
Life Application
There is beauty in surrender. While the world tells us that surrender is weakness, in God's kingdom, surrender is where true strength is found. Surrender isn't giving up - it's giving over. It's saying, "God, I trust you more than I trust myself."
Ask yourself these questions this week:
The most beautiful lives aren't lived by those who have it all figured out, but by those with the courage to say, "God, I trust you." May this be a day of full surrender for each of us, finding beauty in yielding completely to our loving Father.
Have you ever found yourself speaking negatively about others, making plans without considering God's will, or knowing what's right but not doing it? These are all areas where we struggle with submission to God, and James addresses them directly in his letter.
What Does It Mean to Submit Your Speech to God?
James has been building a case throughout his letter about the importance of our words. In chapter 4:11-12, he directly addresses how we speak about others:
"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge."
When we tear down other believers with our words, we're actually:
- Setting ourselves up as judges over God's law
- Positioning ourselves above God's authority
- Contradicting the royal law to "love your neighbor as yourself"
The Rise of "Discernment Ministries"
In recent years, there's been an increase in what some call "discernment ministries" - groups that spend their time pointing out the theological errors of others, particularly those outside their own theological circles. While discernment is important, we must be careful about tearing down the bride of Christ.
Acts 20:28 reminds us that the church was "purchased with his own blood." How dare we speak evil against what Christ purchased at such a high price?
How Do We Submit Our Plans to God?
James continues in verses 13-14:
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
The Illusion of Control
We often make plans with complete confidence, forgetting that:
- We don't know what tomorrow brings
- Our life is brief, like a mist or vapor
- God's plans are often different from ours
What Will Your Legacy Be?
Every gravestone has three things: a birth date, a death date, and a dash between them. We're all living in that dash right now. What will people remember about you?
- Not your career achievements
- Not how much money you made
- But your character and how you loved others
As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God's plans for us are "plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Those plans sound pretty good, don't they?
Why Is Obedience the Ultimate Form of Submission?
In verses 15-17, James concludes:
"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
Submitting to God in obedience means:
- Walking in faith even when the path is unclear
- Taking difficult paths because that's where God is leading
- Shutting out the voices of the world to hear God's voice
- Trusting God even when you can't see what's ahead
The Example of Jonah
Remember Jonah? God called him to go to Nineveh - the capital of the brutal Assyrian empire known for torturing their enemies. Instead, Jonah fled to Tarshish.
God doesn't call us to easy places. He often calls us to difficult, challenging roads. But obedience means going anyway, trusting that God's plan is better than our own.
Life Application
There is beauty in surrender. While the world tells us that surrender is weakness, in God's kingdom, surrender is where true strength is found. Surrender isn't giving up - it's giving over. It's saying, "God, I trust you more than I trust myself."
Ask yourself these questions this week:
- Where am I not submitting my speech to God? Am I speaking negatively about others, especially fellow believers?
- What plans am I making without considering God's will? Am I assuming I know what's best for my life without consulting Him?
- What has God clearly shown me to do that I'm not doing? Remember, knowing the right thing and not doing it is sin.
- What areas of my life am I still holding back from God? Is it fear, pride, or something else that keeps me from full surrender?
The most beautiful lives aren't lived by those who have it all figured out, but by those with the courage to say, "God, I trust you." May this be a day of full surrender for each of us, finding beauty in yielding completely to our loving Father.
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