Resilient: Powerful Hope in a Dangerous WorldSample

Have you ever watched a kid's soccer game? It’s hilarious…and chaotic.

Every player on the field, on both teams, clusters around the ball as it slowly moves back and forth across the grass. There is very little technique. There is almost no strategy. Eager parents on the sidelines scream, “kick it!” There are lots of kicks. Some of them land on the ball.

As kids grow older and the competition gets more exciting, their games begin to change. As teams mature, they realize it’s not just important to be on the field but to be in the right position. Instead of chasing the ball chaotically, each player settles into their role, trusting others to do the same. It’s the difference between a mob…and a team.

The key to being a great player is knowing when to play and when to submit. It takes trust and chemistry to get this balance right. It’s true in soccer. It’s also true in marriage.

Submission is a divisive word in our culture, mainly because of how badly it’s been abused. It’s important to note that submission and dominance are NOT the same thing. God creates order within marriage relationships by calling husbands and wives to submit to one another. It takes trust and chemistry to get this right.

There is an amazing story about Jesus found in Luke 2:42-52. In this story, Jesus is a 12-year-old Jewish boy traveling with His parents to the temple. He is ALSO the creator of the cosmos, the King of Kings, the promised Messiah, and the author of time. What a paradox.

In the story, we see that while Jesus’s family begins to return home, Jesus stays behind without his parent’s permission or awareness. After a three-day frantic search, they find Jesus teaching the teachers in the temple. Clearly, Jesus’s power and knowledge were already on display. It’s an amazing scene.

Here’s the big question. Will Jesus rise up and take His rightful throne as the ruler of the world…or will he act like a normal kid and give in to his parents?

In Luke 2:51, we see that Jesus submits. He listens to His mom and dad…and keeps doing it for 18 years. The Greek word describing Jesus’s actions is the same word we find in 1 Peter 3:1.

In 1 Peter 3, God is inviting wives to be like Jesus. God’s view of submission is beautiful. It’s an act of love and trust in the context of a loving relationship. Submission isn’t a posture of weakness but rather a posture of power under control.

Take some time in prayer.

Reflection Questions

1. What does Jesus’s submission to His parents teach us about the nature of submission?
2. Why do you believe God gives order within relationships?
3. Where do you need God’s help as you seek to live like Jesus?
4. In what areas of your life do you need to walk in submission?