- Bailey Granger
The Power of Submission
Welcome to our Monthly Blog Post!
| Harmony House Counseling & Life Coaching |
With this quick three minute read, you will leave feeling empowered and ready to honor your spiritual leaders and glean from their authority in your life!
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
- Hebrews 13:7 -
As a human being, you were created with a natural desire for a connection to others. We are fashioned with a longing for relationships. We need people. We need community. We need leadership.
As a Christian, a vital part of your walk with Jesus is healthy spiritual leadership. Without leaders investing into who you are as a believer, there will not be much room for growth. Spiritual leadership is not a recommendation, but rather essential. Do you have spiritual leadership in your life?
If you do not, prayerfully consider who the Lord may want to connect you with for that relationship! If you do, here are a few helpful things to consider.
Spiritual leaders should be trustworthy and have an honorable reputation. They should be worthy of respect and known by their integrity. Such leaders should be people who you would trust to speak into your life, as well as to help build your character. Your choice of spiritual leadership should follow these criteria:
Is their Godly lifestyle one that I want to emulate?
Will they hold me accountable to the standards I have set for my life?
Will I be led closer to Jesus by following in their example?
Are my leaders submitting under spiritual authority themselves?
Once you have identified the spiritual leaders who are in your sphere, an important question to ponder is this -
Do I have resistance submitting to the authority of my leaders?
Often times, when we know that God has placed a calling on our life - it is easy to become overly excited and only want to serve our own vision. We know that we have heard from God, so we solely want to focus on this one area. Many people do not understand that when God speaks, it is not His will for you to forsake all else and only focus on your own personal calling. We are not to be selfish, and we are not to place ourselves in ultimate control; for this would lead us to become independent of God and leaders in this calling. The Bible has instructed us to humbly serve our pastors, bosses, and all spiritual authority as unto the Lord!
If we confidently know that God has placed our leaders in our lives for this designated time, we are to honor their authority and submit under their leadership.
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
- Hebrews 13:17 -
To become more like Christ and be a reflection of His character, challenge yourself to be a humble servant. A servant that is willing to be present where you are, and to add value in every place that you have influence.
Being a spiritual leader requires sacrifice, wisdom, grace, and unconditional love. It is a challenging and often difficult position. Take the time to pray for your pastors. Ask your boss what you can take off of their plate to make their life a little easier. Be honest and uplifting to those who you have chosen to hold you accountable. Be a source of light! Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy to the body (Proverbs 16:24). How will you sweeten someone's life going forward?
