|
Home
Reflections On God Biography Come
To Your Senses
Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up
prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the
one who could save him from death, and he was heard because
of his reverent submission.
Beaten Into Submission……
There he stands
the champion of the past. The prize fighter in the ring for
one more bout. The heavyweight can’t get it out of his
blood. He can’t let go of the past. He could dance around
the ring dodging uppercuts and avoiding jabs like no one
else during his prime but that time is no more. Today he is
just a familiar face that lays claim to an aging body. The
chiseled muscular frame of yesterday has become soft hands
and aching joints today. He can no longer endlessly trade
punches and stay on his feet. A new champion reigns. The
once powerful and mighty warrior is beaten into submission.
He goes down for the count all too often now. His time is
up.
There she trembles
in the shadows, the abused spouse or child. In good times
she too, stood tall and strong effectively handling all the
punches life had thrown her way. She too, could take a
little jab now and then and bounce back but that time is no
more. Today she cringes at the sight of a closed fist. She
has barely recovered from the last bout of bruising and it
happens over and over again. The child who used to be so
carefree on the playground can no longer play this game.
The mother who used to live in the spotlight now hides in
fear. They have lost the will to fight the unfair fight.
Mother and child are beaten into submission.
And then there’s
me. I’ve taken my licks. I’ve got my battle scars. I’ve
gone a round or two. When I was younger and stronger I
could bounce back and do it again. Several years ago I was
down for the count. I was weakened and broken. I had once
been on top of my game too, but eventually I took the fall.
I was beaten into submission. Down for my own count I cried
out to God in desperation to rescue me, to pick me up.
He did and by his
grace I was able to recover. It is said time heals all
wounds and time did that for me too. I regained my
strength, got “back in the ring” sort of, with a renewed
spirit and desire to succeed and took on the next
challenge. I was holding my own until the economic downturn
crossed the land in a firestorm. The first winds of the
recession knocked out the most vulnerable; those who could
not afford to go more than a round or two.
Me? Oh, I was
prepared for a bit more but as the recession deepened I too
found myself in another fight for survival. Remembering how
I had come back so many times before, especially now that
Jesus was my trainer, I laid out my game plan to weather the
storm of uncertainty. Facing unemployment for only the
second time in over twenty-five years, my wife and I made
the difficult decision to sell our home after the housing
bubble burst. My prayers changed from praise and devotion
to pleas for mercy. I trusted God, sort of.
We met with a real
estate agent, a man of deep Christian faith to discuss the
plan to sell our home. I trusted God, sort of, and thanked
him for sending Eric into our lives to help us through this
difficult undertaking. Eric cautioned us to expect the
unexpected. He forewarned us with subtle proclamations that
nothing goes by plan, that we could face long delays and
lots of hurdles. I trusted God, sort of. We had an offer
on our home and a contract was submitted to the mortgage
company. I was optimistic!
As the months went
by each delay, each request or need for submission of more
information detailing our financial circumstances started to
take its toll on my spirit. The approval process moved at a
snail’s pace. The first buyer, tired of waiting, walked.
So did the second one. Each time it felt like another heavy
blow to my body, each punch weakening me more and more.
Standing tall in the ring became even more difficult.
Trusting God, sort of, my faith helped me through the
struggles of the early delays but soon I didn’t have much
fight left in me.
I sheltered my wife
from all the ugliness that came with the process. She
didn’t need to carry this type of cross. I claimed it as my
own but since our eyes are the windows to the soul she could
see right to my heart. She knew I was on the verge of
accepting defeat. All the times I thought I had given this
cross to Christ, all the times I thought I had surrendered
all to him and yet here I was again realizing I hadn’t given
in wholly and completely. Finally, finally, I was beaten
into submission. With what little strength I had I handed
it all over to God. Finally.
Can you relate? Do
you know your opponent in the various “rings of life” in
which you’re doing battle? Do you have a good trainer? I
know one! Five letters, J-E-S-U-S.
And what example
does he give us? Here’s a man beaten into his own
submission, hanging and dying on a cross. It’s a
heartbreaking and gut wrenching but necessary scene to
behold. Necessary for the completion of his Father’s will.
Necessary for an entire world to witness. Here’s a man, not
just any man but one who understands the true meaning of
submitting to the Father, of letting “Thy will be done”.
Here’s a man whose final words are “Into your hands I
commend my spirit”.
My aha moment?
When I thought I had given God my all, I still hadn’t given
him enough. He tenderly took me to the moment where I said,
“You, God, can have it all. I give you my spirit.” I no
longer had to beat myself senseless over worldly
prosperity. Submission to Christ IS NOT defeat but the
ultimate victory! I no longer “sort of” trust God, I give
him everything every moment of each day.
One of my favorite
songs has a line that goes, “I will sell what I have,
give all that I am, to hold his treasure as my own”.
That is what submission is for me.
Unlike the boxer
who didn’t know when to quit, when we submit our all to
Christ we will wear the crown of a champion! We
will be in the company of the One who reigns at the top!
We prayerfully
submit to Christ those who suffer the devastation of
physical and emotional abuse at the hands of demonized power
seekers. Their pleas for mercy must be heard. Their
crosses need to be taken from them. They have thrown up
their hands and said, “Enough”. They can’t take anymore.
Do you hear them?
And another
perspective, how about all those who have beaten me into
submission? What happens to them? Well, I rejoice with
them and praise with them! You see, they got there before
me and welcomed me once I saw the light! They submitted to
Christ long before I could even think of giving up my
worldly ways. They accepted his will and began to live by
his Word long before I did. Remember, God will take care of
those who reverently submit to him!
© Peace
Dave
I appreciate your comments.
dpolitte57@gmail.com
TOP
|