“Submit yourselves therefore to God….Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” James 4
I found myself in the middle of the ocean, floating and bobbing around at the top… with a Filippino man trying to push me under water. I was trying as hard as I could, adding more weight to my pocket, maneuvering around, emptying my extra air, but I couldn’t sink. Everyone else was sinking and making it to the bottom, but for some reason, I found myself alone at the top of the water. My methods weren’t taking me anywhere but where I was already.
This past month on the island of Puerto Galera, I had the opportunity to do something I have wanted to give a try for years… scuba diving! We found a dive shop and several of us decided to do “scuba ministry” and embrace the beautiful surroundings of the Philippines while getting to know the dive shop crew.
To sink, you have to exhale, be relaxed and let yourself descend without kicking or trying to control it. My first attempts at going down weren’t successful because of not letting go and giving in. Once I realized this, I began to sink into a new world I had never experienced. I gave in and eventually made my way down to see coral and creatures I’d only saw in books…and the IMAX theatres (it was the 3D in real life!). Really, it kinda felt like I was in a fish tank or Finding Nemo, but it was incredible to dive and literally see a whole part of the earth and God’s creation up close that I had never encountered.
Relinquishing control is a conscious effort. You have to check yourself and your actions. I wanted to sink and go deeper. I had to stop, give up my methods and give in. My diving lessons parallel life so clearly it really caught my heart and has made me stop and check myself and heart if I’m really giving up control of plans, ministry, life, everything. We are called to submit ourselves to God and to “live for the rest of [our] earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.”
To do this, we have to ask ourselves what is motivating our choices. Where are our plans coming from… are they what we think will work and what sounds like a good idea, or are we really seeking God to guide us. He has already both promised us and commanded us to not worry about tomorrows troubles and trust him that he will provided us exactly what we need. So who is possibly better to follow, give into, and go deeper with than the one who knows our hearts better than we do and has our best interest in mind.
The more we give in, the deeper we get, the more and more our hearts will fall in line with God’s plan and a new world will be revealed. Being at the top alone, seeing glimpses of what’s below and what could be I know isn’t where I’m supposed to be or where God wants anyone. Let him have total control and trust that he will take you on a journey beyond what any human mind can imagine. Stop kicking and paddling. Give in and sink into something beyond you.
