Submitting to God is a central theme throughout the Bible. As human beings created by God, we are called to live in faithful obedience to Him. This means aligning our will, desires, actions, and priorities with God’s commands and wishes for our lives. Though challenging at times, submission to God is ultimately for our good and enables us to experience the blessings of living in right relationship with our Creator.
The starting point for understanding submission to God is recognizing that He is Lord of our lives. As Psalm 24:1 states, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” Nothing we have belongs to us – it is all from God who created us and sustains us. Jesus emphasizes this lordship when He states, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). To truly submit to God, we must embrace Him as the rightful ruler of our lives and surrender our own wills to His.
A posture of submission recognizes that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). As the potter, He is the one shaping and molding our lives according to His purposes. When we try to cling to control rather than yielding to Him, we can expect difficulty. Jesus explains, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Though counterintuitive to our pride and natural inclinations, submitting to God actually leads to rest and peace as we align ourselves with His good plans.
Submission to God manifests itself in obedience to His commands. Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The Holy Spirit empowers believers to know God’s commands and live accordingly. As we submit, we find that His commands are not burdensome but are given for our flourishing. We can joyfully obey God’s word, trusting that He knows what is best even when it doesn’t make sense to us in the moment.
Practically speaking, a life of submission to God encompasses every area. We surrender our plans, dreams, finances, use of time, relationships, work, priorities and more to His lordship. Such complete submission is challenging and may require sacrificing our own desires or comfort. Jesus explains the cost in Luke 14:25-33 and emphasizes that we must count the cost of fully following Him. However, He also assures that those who submit their lives completely to Him will be richly rewarded for it.
Submission to God also means submitting to human authorities He has placed over us, such as government, church leaders, employers, parents, and husbands (Romans 13:1-7, Hebrews 13:17, Ephesians 5:22-6:9). However, we submit to human authority only insofar as it aligns with God’s commands (Acts 5:29). When human authority contradicts God’s authority, we follow God.
As we yield control of our lives to God, trusting His plans over our own, we can expect Him to guide our paths and work powerfully through us. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Though it requires humility and self-denial, choosing to submit to God ensures we are exactly where He wants us to be so He can showcase His glory through our lives.
Submission to God is not a one-time choice but an ongoing posture. As challenges arise, we must choose repeatedly to surrender and obey God’s calling, trusting that He is faithful. Our human tendency toward pride and self-reliance can often cause us to resist submission. However, we can rely on the promise of James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” As we continually submit ourselves to God, repenting when we fail, He will give us the grace and strength to follow Him.
Ultimately, our submission is made possible by Christ’s submission on our behalf. Just as Jesus surrendered His will to the Father out of love for us, we submit ourselves to God as an act of worship and love. Our Savior modeled perfect submission by declaring “Not my will but yours be done” in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). As beneficiaries of Christ’s submission to death on the cross, we can freely and joyfully submit our lives to the loving lordship of God.
In summary, the Bible makes it clear that we are called to submit fully to God, who is the rightful Lord over all creation. This means surrendering our will, plans, priorities, and very lives to His purposes and desires for us. Through humble obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit, we align ourselves with God’s will, trusting that His ways are higher and better than our own. Though challenging at times, submitting to God brings rest, guidance, and blessings as He works powerfully in and through us. The example of Jesus provides the ultimate model and motivation for living a life joyfully submitted to God each and every day.