READY:
“For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow- in heaven and on earth and under the earth- and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” -Philippians 2:9-11
SET:
At any sporting event in the history of organized competition sport, whose word is gold? Meaning whose word or position matters more than anyone else’s on the field or court? It would have to be the game official. Their word trumps any coach, athlete, parent, fan, etc. Now I want you to think, if that is universally understood, the wise thing to do would be to choose to submit to that authority in your own will power, right? Instead of later down the line, having to submit to it out of force.
God’s Word and position is gold. He gets to say what goes and what doesn’t. He gave Jesus the name that is above every name (you can read Philippians 2 to find out why He did that), and at His name every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. We can relate it to the idea of a game official: either we can humble ourselves to see that we aren’t the authority in that moment, or we can be humbled by the authority of the game official. Either way, the game official is the authority, just like God is the authority. And praise God He is the authority, because what is our life? We are a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes (James 4:14). “LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They’re like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow” (Psalm 144:3-5).
We all have a choice to make. Will we humbly bow our knee and confess that He is Lord out of love and adoration for a God who has given us a new life and boundaries to help us live well? Or will we be humbled by the loving God we have chosen to reject?
GO:
In what ways are you demanding your own ruling rather than submitting to God’s in your life?
Do you trust that His Ways are true, and that they’re all rooted in His love for you?
What will be your next step in humbling yourself before the Almighty God?
WORKOUT:
OVERTIME:
"Almighty God, You are the authority in my life and ultimately in every other person’s life that walks this earth. Thank You for being the God of the Universe and still caring about the affairs of my life. Please humble me in the areas where I am prideful and insisting on my own way. Please open my eyes to see You for who You are and help me understand my place in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.”