[Note: I promised this to someone.]
A Call To Full Submission
By Nate M. Hanson
In order to be effective, one must be passionate. This is demonstrated everyday when a person works at some task. Their effectiveness of completing that task stems from their level of passion for it. If they lack passion for the task, the outcome—the “final product”—will be directly debilitated.
Such is the case with our task of serving God. Our level of passion for serving God directly effects how we will serve Him. Our service and surrender to God can range from extremely high to nearly nonexistent depending on the passion we have for Him. Now, a being’s passion for God is not set at a certain level never to be altered—a passion for God can mature and grow. In fact, a passion for God must mature and grow to be as effective as God has called us to be.
Most human beings are passionate about at least one person—we will use a spouse for an example. When a man enters into a marriage relationship with his wife he is thereby saying that her life is more important than his—he is promising to value her more than he values himself. Though quite a commitment and quite an example of passion, this is often viewed as a simple—or even “common” act. However, this act of existing in a marriage relationship, serving and caring for the other more than yourself, is a direct picture of the level of passion each of the spouses have for each other. I would hope that people entering into this marriage relationship would be willing to fulfill their promises to the point of dying for their spouse—this the true measure of passion.
The true measure of passion (and therefore, “effectiveness”) is to value that person or that thing more than you value yourself. There is a small level of passion taken to work and be effective at small tasks (as I showed earlier) but obviously this is not the same amount it takes to lay down your life for someone. And, laying down your life does not always mean dying. You can “lay down your life” for your spouse by valuing them more than yourself and therefore serving them.
As we’ve seen in the marriage relationship so we can translate to our relationship with God—our Heavenly Father. We are called to enter into a relationship—much the same as an earthly marriage relationship of service and surrender. Our level of passion for Him will directly determine our willingness to serve and “lay down our lives” and our effectiveness in doing so. As I said in regards to the earthly marriage relationship, we are called to value the one we have passion for more than ourselves. Such is true in our relationship with God. Our level of passion will determine what we will do for our Savior and how effective we will be in doing so.
Full submission is illustrated with serving and surrendering your own desires and will. This kind of true submission—this beautiful and “full” submission—only takes place when your passion for God is overflowing. When this is the case you will serve effectively and submit fully: Daily dying—sometimes literally—for the One you are truly passionate about.
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08.13.05
