Submission - Jesus

Then [Jesus] returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Luke 2:51

A man with a slightly rebellious streak once learned the value of submission to authority, particularly when behind the wheel of a car. Near his home was a usually quiet intersection with a diamond-shaped yield sign. Because he rarely saw cars coming through the intersection when he left for work early in the morning, he usually ignored the sign and tore through it.

One day as he approached the intersection, he took a sip of coffee from his travel mug and prepared to head on through as he always had. At the last possible moment, he glanced to his left and saw a school bus filled with children approaching.

He slammed on his brakes, narrowly avoiding a horrible accident that could have taken his life and the lives of dozens of kids. He never ignored that yield sign again.

It’s easy to ignore the yield signs God puts up for us, but the Bible teaches that we enjoy God’s blessing and protection when we heed the warning signs he so lovingly places in our paths.

Even as a young boy growing up in the tiny town of Nazareth, Jesus knew the importance of submission to his Father and to the people he had put in authority over him. As the Son of God, Jesus knew his identity. He also knew that to grow into a perfect man of God, he needed to honor his earthly mother and father.

As a boy, Jesus laid the foundation for a life of perfect submission to his heavenly Father. Everything he did, said, and thought sprang from the fact that he had yielded his own will to his Father (see John 5:30).

Jesus built his life on a solid foundation of submission. On what foundation have you built yours?

Most men don’t like the idea of submitting to someone else, but when you intentionally submit to God and follow his leading, you are on your way to a life of blessing.