The highest level of faith is not passively turning everything over to God and then expecting Him to do it all. This may sound like Bible submission but it is not. God desires active seeking and active obedience. God desires for us to depend on Him in all that we do, not for us to depend on Him to do it all.
We are to depend on Him in all that we do, not depend on Him to do it all.
The image of active obedience to God’s will is not one of an individual sitting motionless in the back seat letting God drive the car. It is instead an image of an individual actually driving the car with God inside of them leading them. Driving the car does not amount to ‘grabbing the wheel’ from God. He doesn’t want it. He gave it to us. It is taking personal responsibility for the position God has (pre)determined for us. Active obedience is receiving real-time directions from the Lord, and using them to guide our life. Is that difficult to do? Absolutely, that is why few actually do it.
Being willing to take whatever comes along is not true submission, but rather, is what we would call indifference: showing no care or concern in attitude or action. Indifference says, ‘I don’t want to take part in the process, but, that’s fine because I don’t really care what happens.’ It is an unholy agreement that says, ‘Go do it all God; I’m just going to sit here, and for my part, I’ll be willing to take whatever I get.’
Love cares and is passionate. It makes one motivated for others and for yourself. Submission cares and obeys. It also spurs one on to action. True love and godly submission is doing something because you care and you know it is the right thing. Faith is love and submission at work. It is at its core a heart-felt response to His Word and His Will.
Comments
Okay, yes, the first sentence of mine, was actually bitter.
*I meant, ” “here’s >exactly< what's wrong" ".
SUCH a good rebuff of, at least my own, church. Thank-you for being precise and…I don’t know exactly what; except being unafraid to directly confront what others say “is right”; and say not only “no, it isn’t right”, but also “not any of it is true;”; and “here’s >exactlywrongbad<. And without even writing very negatively, grumbly, or pessimistically (which would've been more discouraging or, unncessarily, upsetting. In short, without writing bitterly, and thus encouraging readers to be.).