Ok, so I'm not a blogger and not a big fan of journaling, but thought that I would give it a try. Over the past year, I have been learning so much about myself and about God that I felt like I just have to share it or I will burst! So where do I start...
For me, this past year God has been teaching me about submission and authority. For those of you who know me, you know that I can tend to be a defiant person (insert sarcastic gasp here). I struggle with authority as part of my fallen nature. I have no excuses, just regrets, but over this last year, I've learned (thanks to my awesome friend Ashley) that authority can be a good thing and that we all have to submit to someone. Ephesians 5:21-6:9 talks about submission: wives and husbands, children and parents, slave and masters - but most importantly it talks about submitting to each other out of reverence for God. Through our submission to those in authority, it glorifies God. Our #1 authority to submit to is God - if we don't submit to his rules and love, then we fail to become more Christ-like and we separate ourselves from God.
Through my learning and studying, I've also realized that God has allowed certain people to be in authority roles, whether they are good or bad, and while we may not agree with those in authority, it is out of reverence to God that we need to submit. This does not mean blinding following when something is wrong, but respectfully disagreeing, speaking your peace in an kind and loving way, then submitting to your boss or director as needed. So I am constantly trying to follow the Ephesians verses both in my work and personal life. While this is very hard sometimes for a defiant person like me, I want to constantly show God's glory and through my submitting to authority, I am allowing God to shine through me.
I encourage you all to allow God's light to shine through you and your actions. Don't be a light under a bushel and remember to submit to each other out of reverence for God.
