Giving In?

My father-in-law has a tendency to latch on to a phrase (or a joke) and repeat it for an extended period of time – each time saying it as if it were the first time. Right now it is an old German phrase – “Too fast old, too late smart”

When I was much younger, if someone were to get in my way, or challenge me, I would rise to the occasion and meet the challenge, letting the pieces land where they will. Over the years I have grown and matured a bit to realize that strength is not always in meeting the challenge head on, but sometimes it is in knowing when to give in.

These thoughts flooded in on me as I read these Proverbs today - "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." (16:32). The point is made in the opposite way in Proverbs 25:28, "Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit."

Humility, submission, servant hood, acceptance of God's will--characteristics which our macho culture dismisses as weakness, but which are the epitome of strength. Only the truly strong can walk away from a fight when he could win it. Only the truly strong can humble themselves to get down and wash the feet of others, as Jesus did the disciples.

The toughest job any of us will ever have to do is to submit ourselves to another. I guess that makes Philippians 2:5-8 all that more significant.

What today does God want you to submit to? Giving in to His will isn’t weakness, it is an incredible display of strength!