Overcome Obstructions: Submit to God - Part 1

Relationships thrive where peace is present. Peace is listed after love and joy in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said he would give peace to those who put their faith and trust in him. The peace he promised is not a fragile peace like the world gives, but the peace of God identified as a fruit of the Spirit that gives believers confidence.

Satan creates obstructions to negate God’s peace and must be confronted with the armor Jesus makes available to Christians to protect them from attempts to negate the peace Jesus provides. Blaming others for our shortcomings and failures is an obstruction we choose when we, by our own volition, submit to temptation.

While there are many obstructions, God provides ways to overcome every hurdle and stumbling block. When we stand ready to be accountable for our failures by seeking forgiveness, God restores the peace he promised. “When you seek God with all your heart, He will be found.”  This is an affirmation that secures peace for the weary soul.  

Created for Relationship - Part 3

An issue all marriages encounter is who is to be submissive to whom and to what degree. Equality includes equal power, different but equal roles, as well as opportunities to express the talents and skills each person brings to the relationship. Ephesians 5:21 offers this advice, "Submit one to another out of reverence for Christ."

What does the word accountability mean to you? Everyone has to answer to someone. Even gang members have this responsibility. Those who refuse face severe consequences. Most human beings comply with being accountable where assurance of personal safety exists. Submissiveness means more than yielding to the desires of another person.

In the healthiest sense, submissiveness means to be accountable to another person. The apostle Paul indicates that relationships should reflect our relationship with Christ Jesus. We are accountable to God for our behavior and our thoughts. God encourages us to consistently submit and be accountable to his kindness, love, and power.