Trust, Submit!

In a recent interview, Dr. Charles Stanley, who just transitioned to the role of Pastor Emeritus after serving as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Atlanta for over 50 years, referred to his approach to living out the vision he feels called to as this:

“Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”

In the book Desire of Ages, when discussing the first temptation of Jesus we find this observation:

“When we learn the power of His word … Our only questions will be, What is God’s command? and what His promise? Knowing these, we shall obey the one, and trust the other.” (Desire of Ages, page 121)

Both of these echo the advice and promise found in Proverbs 3:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

It is true that salvation is a gift God gives you when you believe in Him. But believing in Him means you trust Him enough to submit to Him, to choose His will for your life over your own.

And when you do that, He’ll take care of the outcomes, bringing about results that will increase your ability to point others towards Him and salvation.

Is there something in your life you need to submit to God? Don’t put it off.