Submitted

So, I was in Mongolia...(click the link and make sure to read #5, it's worth it.)

Anyway, I was on a mission trip and I asked Brent Edwards, the trip leader, if I could lead the devotional one morning. He said sure. I felt strongly led by God to talk about the issue of obedience v. sacrifice as addressed in I Samuel 15:22 and Psalm 51:16-17.

I started my little talk by saying, "I keep hoping this is a word for someone else." I just let it hang there and Chris Machen started laughing. Obviously, he had experienced the same thing.

That is sort of how I feel right now. I hope this is a word for someone else, but I've got a scary feeling that it is a word for me.

Is there a difference between being committed to God and being submitted to God?

I put this question to some friends in choir tonight and Jenks asked "Is it possible to do one without the other?" I think he's got a good point, but, after some thought, I think it is possible to be committed without being submitted.

Some examples from Scripture:

• The Rich Young Ruler - he was committed. According to him, he had kept all of the commandments since his youth. Whether or not he actually had isn't relevant; HE thought that he had. But was he submitted? No. When Jesus asked him to do something that wasn't on the list, as hard and harsh as it was, the RYR said 'No' with his feet.
  
• Gideon - with the fleece, he was twice committed. When he gathered the army, I believe this is evidence that he was submitted. The stuff he did with 300 men was only possible with God's help; that's submission.
  
• Peter - Before the crucifixion - committed. After the Resurrection and his time with Jesus on the beach - submitted to his core.
  
• Noah - Submitted
  
• Moses - I think he also started out committed, but, sometime around the parting of the Red Sea, proved he was submitted.
  
• Paul - Before the road to Damascus - committed. After - submitted.
  

OK, now for the hard part. Am I committed? Of course I am. I go to church three times a week, I read the Bible, teach Sunday School, go on mission trips, and I don't smoke, drink, or chew (tobacco, that is). I can usually find I Thessalonians, I've memorized some verses, listen exclusively to Christian music, and I wear Christian t-shirts. You want the checklist? I got it.

Am I submitted? I'm having trouble answering this question. Of course I want to SAY that I'm submitted to God, but that would mean that I would have to BE submitted to God. If I decide that I'm not submitted, then I'll have to do something about it. This isn't something that one can safely lie about...

I think that being committed is the laundry list of things that we do to prove that we are good Christians. This isn't necessarily bad - James says that he shows his faith by his deeds. But I think that being submitted is when you follow God's list. He doesn't have as much stuff on his list, but His list is much harder to check off. Maybe that's it, you can't check the stuff off of God's list, you can only do them. Always.

As usual, I don't think this is the only and final answer. I'm really trying to reason this out. Brothers and sisters, help me out. What do you think?