Defer to One Another

 I left the house for a walk after a heated discussion the other day with my beloved 😄,to cool my head, get some fresh sunshine and air, maybe a fresh perspective. At first I was thinking, what was important to me was not being acknowledged, and felt indignant. Then I thought of this verse. I once had a professor in college say, this was an overlying instruction given for both husband and wife. I also had a priest in my life I greatly admired, say that we should be “obedient to all” in a way, as a practice of humility. A way of dying to self. 

This does not apply of course in cases of immoral acts being imposed upon us, or abusive behavior. Just, maybe it’s not our cup of tea. Maybe it’s a little against our will. But wouldn’t hurt us to give in to the other. That’s what I’m talking about. 

I then thought of Christ our Lord. And how with what great self-control, because He could have wiped all of them out with a single thought, He submitted to His persecutors, even people He Himself had created at the beginning of time as the Word. I wasn’t even being persecuted, nor have I made anyone without God’s help. Just having a conversation with someone who loved me. 

I pondered that quite a bit. 

When Jesus’ true identity was questioned, He did establish who He was... 

“Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” 

(Mark 14:61-62) 

But He knew what the Father’s will was. And so, He submitted. And it was not an act of weakness, it was actually a show of strength. 

See what we can get confused about, is that humbling yourself before another, especially when it’s hard, is evidence of a great deal of strength and humility. Not weakness. And a tremendous act of real love. Think of Christ, who was God, practicing this to such an extreme. And if we are in fact, his disciples, sons and daughters of the Father, are we not to imitate Him in all things? 

I pray I can begin, little by little.