I watched my neighbor’s dog run through the invisible fence his owners installed to keep him safe from harm. God gave man dominion (stewardship) over animals, Genesis 1:29, telling us to name them and take care of them. The dog hadn't submitted to his owner’s authority and he felt the shock of the electric prod bringing him quickly to submission.
We experience many layers of authority throughout our lives, beginning in childhood. Those in authority given responsibility are not always endowed with wisdom and compassion. It's hard to submit to authority figures we don't respect or trust. As C.S. Lewis said, "be friendly with men of honor and stiff with rascals." I confess that I struggle with authority figures who use and misuse authority for personal power and gain. I question in prayer if their authority is truly God-given while asking for discipline to submit to the Lord who submitted himself to death at the hands of unjust men.
Submission is the characteristic that equalizes us in the roles God has assigned us. A beautiful life is characterized by submitting ourselves to each other as we put our hope in God and celebrate our treasures as jars of clay, 2 Corinthians 4:7. Submission and surrender in God's hands bring peace and serenity, the ability to rest under the dominion and authority of his shepherding.
"Have your way Lord, have your way! You are the potter; I am the clay."
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