Continuing in my wonderings - I realize I have to first decide just whose will is being done in this matter called my life. Am I here for God's good pleasure or is He here for mine? Until I get that ironed out and internalized (which is a lifelong growth process) I can't even begin to start a desire for submission. There is no way to submit, or even understand submitting, until I place my life in proper alignment with the submitt-ee. This is true with my life in God - and the life with my husband.
Romans 9 has some hard words for those of us in 21st century America:
11for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
12it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
13Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
15For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."
16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."
18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
20On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
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Our American view of God and religion is a system put in place to make our lives better, more prosperous in relationships, in happiness, in money, in health - in our pursuit for the good life. We believe that those who prosper are blessed by God and those who suffer just don't seem to measure up. However, even a quick reading of the verses above make hash of that viewpoint.
God molds us into the vessel of his choice. Some He makes fancy. Others he makes plain. There is no rhyme nor reason outside of his desires. Dare we say - some of us he loves and some he hates? How about He might raise me up to my physical detriment (as he said he did Pharoah) only to show his power through me or to further his plan. Can I accept that? Can I love God will all my heart and mind, trust him totally and long to be even closer, if my physical life is a broken clay pot? That is a hard thought. But if I can't place God in absolute monarchial control of my life, giving him total right over me - as the one who created me for his good pleasure - then I am creating a god of my own doing - and that god is me. Because I am calling the shots and I am deciding what can and can't be done with my life. I can't serve two masters. I either serve myself - or I serve God.
I believe if I can reach this understanding it places me at the bottom step of 'the blesseds' - truly able to say "God - I am absolutely poor in spirit." At that point - He can move in and start working in my life. But until I totally submit all I am - and all that I will be - then I have not even begun that walk up the steps of 'the blesseds '- into mercy and peacemaking, etc.
Jesus - our supreme example did nothing except the will of his Father. We can quote verses like that. We've heard great sermons that made really good applications of that idea. But if - as our example - Jesus is one to be followed - can we say for even one DAY of our lives we did nothing except the will of our Father?
In Matthew 11 Jesus told his Dad:
25"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
Jesus praised God doing what was His good pleasure. His entire will was given over to Him. Are we brave enough to even whisper that idea to God? Do we trust Him enough? We have to take the hands off the wheel . . .
AJTX
