Matthew 26:39, "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.'"
John 21:18-19, "‘Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.' Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, ‘Follow me!'"
Consider the last thing you turned in online. Maybe it was a job application, a homework assignment, or a web form. Whatever it was, it likely involved navigating through various pages, uploading documents, and filling in every required field. But, going through all the steps is useless if you don't click "Submit" at the end. It simply causes unnecessary frustration and wastes time.
Submission to God requires no preparation. There's no billing address or electronic signature needed. We don't have to straighten up our lives or clean up our messes. It can happen at any time, anywhere, and on any occasion. But in that moment of yielding to God and accepting His plans, we must surrender wholeheartedly.
After Jesus indicated that Peter would be martyred for his faith, He said, "Follow me!" At that point, Peter could've said, "Thanks for the offer, Jesus, but I'll stick to fishing!" But he didn't. He submitted to God and said, "Yes, Lord, I'm here. Work through me to be a fisher of men!"
Even Jesus, perfect and holy, cried out to His Father in anguish moments before His arrest and imminent crucifixion - at a time when it would've been easy for Him to quit. Instead, He said, "Yet not as I will, but as You will." Despite the pain and shame, He'd soon endure, Jesus hit "submit" to offer us salvation. He lived out His purpose and changed the world.
Why go through the frustration and time wasted that comes from living outside of God's will? Hit "Submit" to any areas in which are not giving yourself wholeheartedly to God. What's one action step you can take today to make it happen?
Lord Jesus, Thank You for hitting "Submit" to pay for my sins on the cross. I know that the life You want me to live requires complete surrender to Your will and Your ways. Help me take the necessary steps to align with Your best. Amen.