Mutual Submission

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21)

Submission is a word we don’t like in modern American society.   We love our individualism, self-reliance, and democratic notions.  “Nobody is going to tell me what to do!”

Mutual submission is even more foreign.  If everyone is submitting to each other, then who’s in charge?

The truth is, mutual submission makes a lot of sense.  It’s one of the things that makes long-term marriages possible.  It’s a part of the Christian life.  And it’s part of church life.

Submission is simply “getting under (sub)” the “mission.”

Submission isn’t about coerced behaviors or forced compliance; it’s about voluntarily getting yourself “under” the person or project you’re engaging… and giving it your best effort.

• When someone is good at something, I pay attention to them
• When someone knows something, I listen to them
• When someone has demonstrated skills I don’t have, and they leverage those skills to advance the cause of Christ, I follow them

At PCC we have a lot of good people on our team.  Most are in a volunteer capacity.  I’m talking about those we consider to be technical engineers; people who have skills with audio and projection, recording and mixing, etc.  I could also mention the expert musicians and singers.  And let’s not overlook those who work with children and teens and understand the ins-and-outs of those ministries.  We have men who handle maintenance on our building and campus.  Church wide, we have department heads, ministry leaders, and dozens of workers.  I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

• These are people who good at things I’m not
• They know things I don’t
• They possess a number of demonstrated skills I lack
• They are humble, which makes them great leaders

….And it’s easy for me to submit to them.