Submission

In the book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem , the foreward is for singles. This is a bit encouraging as I continually answer the single questions of life for this part of my life.........

Jesus is the example to follow. He was single. He was born to serve.... He had deep friendships among all sorts of people-men, women, single, married. That was his work, an intimate part of his ultimate mission of dying on the cross for our sins... His relationship with Mary, Martha, Peter, and the other disciples helped prepare him for his death. No one can love in the abstract. he allowed hmself to be interrupted by needy children, distraught fathers, hungry men and sick women...Jesus sought to make himself vulnerable.
-Cheryl Forbes

I cared not how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls for Christ. While I was asleep I dreamed of these things, and when I awoke the first thing I thought of was this great work. All my desire was for the conversion of the heathen, and all my hope was in God.
-David Brainerd

She had been a missionary in China for six or seven years before she ever thought of wanting a husband. When a British couple came to work near hear, she began to watch the wonderful thing they had in marriage, and to desire it for herself. Being a woman of prayer she prayed-a straightforward request that God would call a man from England, send him straight out to China, and have him propose. She leaned toward me on the sofa on which we were sitting, her black eyes snapping, her boney little forefinger jabbing at my face. "Elisabeth, " she said, "I believe God answers prayer! He called him." Then, in a whisper of kenn intensity, "but he never came."
-Gladys Alyward conversation with Elisabeth Elliot

My whole being cries out continually for something I may not have. My whole life must be lived in the context of this never-ceasing tension. My professional life, my social life, my personal life, my Christian life-all are subject to its constant and powerful pull. As a Christian I have no choice but to obey God, cost what it may. I must trust him to make it possible for me to honor him in my singleness.
That this is possible, a mighty cloud of witnesses will join me to attest. Multitudes of single Christians in ever age and circumstance have proved God's sufficiency in this matter. He has promised to meet our needs and he honors his word. If we seek fulfillment in him, we shall find it. It may not be easy, but whoever said that Christian life was easy? The badge of Christ's discipleship was a cross.
Why must I live my life alone? I do not know. But Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. I believe in the sovereignty of God, and I accept my singleness from his hand. He could have ordered my life otherwise, but he has no chosen to do so. As his child, I must trust his love and wisdom.
-Margaret Clarkson on submission


I think submission to husbands/wives is over emphasized. It must be important to submit to my Lord first and foremost. How well do I do that? Do I submit to my Lord better than what I would a husband? How well do I carry out my submission to God? Is my submission fearless, relentless, diligent or just stagnant, unreliable, and unstable? I would say that it is both. I seek more of the former and less of the latter. I must admit that daily I struggle to kill the latter, but it is an uphill struggle. It is a fight of the flesh. Why wouldn't I submit? The one true peace, perfection, sacrifice, and so many other things.... It seems so easy s0-why isn't it? Submission= spending time with God daily, making outward to others what Christ has done inward, seeking out the sin problems in my life, giving Him my problems first, and seeing Him in every situation.
These are some verses I found that have encouraged me in this......

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
-James 4:7

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden trasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives widsom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound widsom for the upright; he is a shield to hose who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
-Proverbs 2:1-8

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
-Ephesians 2:22

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let you reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which supasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
-2 Peter 1:3-4