“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7 Submission isn’t always easy because it requires us to lay down our plans, our timing, and our need for control. We often think submission means losing something… But in God’s kingdom, submission is actually where we gain clarity, peace, and direction. Biblical submission: voluntarily positioning yourself under authority out of love and humility Every time we choose: - obedience over comfort - trust over control - God’s way over our way …we position ourselves to experience His will in a deeper way. In Matthew 26:36 when Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion Jesus modeled submission when He said, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” He is struggling with his fate, but asks God to present his will anyway. In Luke 1:26-38 Mary is visited by an angel who told her she would bare a son (Jesus) she did not quarrel, fight or reject the call but answered with “I am a the Lords servant” God will often call you to something that requires a version of yourself that you might not have grown into yet. Reflection: What area of my life am I still trying to control? What would it look like to fully submit that to God today? Affirmation: I choose God’s will over my own I trust God even when I don’t understand I release control and walk in obedience God’s plan for me is greater than anything I can create on my own Submission isn’t losing control… it’s placing your life in the hands of the One who knows you best.