Submission to authority

Thomas A Kempis, speaking as if He is Christ on submission...

"He who does not submit himself freely and willingly to his superior, shows that his flesh is not yet perfectly obedient but that it often rebels and murmurs against him.

Learn quickly, then to submit yourself to your superior if you wish to conquer your own flesh. There is no more troublesom, no worse enemy of the soul than you yourself, if you are not in harmony with the spirit. It is absolutely necessary that you coneive a true contempt for yourself if you wish to be victorious over flesh and blood.

Because you still love yourself too inordinately, you are afraid to resign yourself wholly to the will of others. Is it such a great matter if you, who are but dust and nothingness, subject yourself to man for the sake of God, when I, the All-Powerful, the Most High, Who created all things out of nothing, humbly subjected Myself to man for your sake? I became the most humble and the lowest of all men that you might overcome your pride with My humility.

Learn to humble yourself, you who are but earth and clay, and bow down under the foot of every man! Learn to break your own will, to submit to all subjection. Be zealous against yourself! Allow no pride to dwell in you."

This slammed me on the floor last week b/c I can be kind of a control freak sometimes. It's something I constantly battle since I've been enlightened to the enormity of this weakness of mine. Last week I struggled big time with not wanting to submit to my authority here. I arrogantly think my ideas are always best, and so I fight with feelings of voicing them all too often, which is wrong when it fights with my authority. God gives us people to govern over us for reasons. Yes, voice your opinions, but there are many more times when I need to take a seat and shut up and I'm learning that. Oh, what a painful exercise this can be. I'm an independent only child who is used to taking care of everything on her own. I praise God for trying to break me of this in various ways. My verse in combatting my urge to speak my mind all the time is, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:19-20