For Those Of Us Who Are Always Right

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." - Ephesians 5:21

This weekend I had the pleasure of driving during five o'clock traffic in North Dallas. At the busy interchange of George Bush Turnpike and the North Dallas Tollway, the east and westbound traffic coming from the Turnpike come together before entering the Tollway. At the junction where these two groups meet is a yellow road sign with two conjoined arrows and the word, "Merge."

And the amazing thing is, mostly everyone did. Here in Houston, there would probably have been some serious road rage going on, but the commuters yielded to one another, kept the flow of traffic moving, and the collective blood pressure relatively low. Occasionally, someone would not want to yield to the other lane, but for the most part, everyone took turns. Incredible.

Submission is not a comfortable state for most of us. We do not want to be in a position of submission, we want to be in a position of power. We do not want to find ourselves suddenly having to answer for what we have done. Sometimes this means breaking the rules or ignoring directions.

God's directions and rules are about as blatant as a yellow and black road sign that says, "MERGE." There they all are in black and white, and yet we question them and place our own translation on them. We push the limits, we toe the line. Then our hearts ask us, "What do you think you are doing?!"

We are human, imperfect, selfish. We see the word, "SUBMIT" and we think of servitude. But in this relationship with each other, we are to submit, not in the spirit of obedience, but by yielding to one another. It keeps us moving. It prevents deadlock.

How many times have I found myself resisting submission? In my relationships with friends, I have had times when I refuse to see their point of view, and eventually, sadly, the friendship is lost. In a battle of wills with my two year old, I find myself in a competition to see who can yell the loudest. Not very productive! And don't get me started on what happens when an immoveable mass marries an unstoppable force.

How is this life sustaining? How can this constant turmoil be good for me, for my family? Our stubborn natures collide, we find ourselves in a stalemate, and nothing is accomplished.

James 3:17-18 says, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

This sounds like the description of my adored kindergarten teacher, Ms. Jana Harkins, or my sweet Nanny, Beth. How did they get there? They learned to MERGE. They learned to pick their battles. We are on our way, we are just not quite there yet. Each day is a new opportunity for us to sow in peace.

Dear God, please help us to be peacemakers in our homes. Help us yield our stubborn natures so that we may have spirit of submission in honor of you. AMEN!