"[Jesus] did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage." Philippians 2:6Fully Surrendered
Two thousand pounds.
That’s how much he weighs. He’s a well-kept, massive
animal with a gorgeous coat that glistens like soft sequins when touched by the sunlight. Accented by a long, jet-black mane, he draws the admiration of many. Every step reveals sinewy muscle that flexes with each move of his chestnut-colored body. The biggest of all the horses in the stable, he is indeed a sight to behold.
When he comes out into the open arena, it’s common to hear someone catch his or her breath. He’s immense, tall, and wide. His name is Goliath.
When my brother Anthony first laid eyes on him, he had to have him. A horse lover since he was a youngster, Anthony could only stare at this colossal creature and hope that he’d be able to take him home. After a bit of negotiation, he found that he could.
And he did.
When his prized animal stepped out of the trailer onto the new grounds that he’d now call home, my brother led him directly to the round pen. It’s a small patch of bare ground about 60 feet in diameter outlined by a three-board wooden fence. Compared to the wide, open spaces where the horses run loose, it’s tiny. It has to be because this pen is for training.
As beautiful as this horse was, he’d be useless, not to mention dangerous, unless he knew, understood, and complied with the pecking order in his new environment. In fact, his gargantuan size made this even more important. He could easily muscle his way out of any circumstance he wanted to (it’s clear when you’re standing next to him who has the upper hand), so a sense of compliance and a willingness to yield to his trainer was paramount.
I watched while Anthony trained. He stood in the center of the pen as the horse circled him, running around and around the edges of the ring. Finally, Anthony yelled “Whoa! Whoa!” The gallop slowed to a canter, then to a trot, and finally a walk. When cued, Goliath stopped abruptly, and Anthony worked to get him to turn his attention to the center of the ring and walk directly to his outstretched hand. He didn’t get it at first . . . or second or third.
For one full hour I stood on the outside of the round pen with my foot perched up on one of the wooden slats, elbows out, chin in my hand, resting on the top one, as they rhythmically went through this routine.
“It’s critical,” Anthony yelled over to me. “If we don’t get this right, neither one of use will enjoy each other’s company. If he doesn’t learn to corral his strength, then he’ll be too dangerous to ride. Learning to yield is paramount.”
Corralling our strength.
This exercise wasn’t about stripping him of power but about teaching him to control it and yield to legitimate authority.
Yielding to authority.
These are hard notions to comprehend. Our human nature seems to demand the opposite. We yearn to use every bit of our potential whenever and however we choose.
We’ve grown to feel that this is our right: to assert
ourselves at our own bidding. “Why else would we have been given the strength and potential that we have?” we reason to ourselves. And yet the One with all power in the palm of His hand seemed to live differently:
Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being (see Phil. 2:6-7).
Can you imagine how much Jesus “weighed” - with all that influence, power, authority, majesty, honor, wisdom, and heavenly supremacy at His disposal? Yet the most powerful man of all gave up the right to utilize and flaunt that authority. He chose rather to submit to the will of His Father and to demonstrate His care to those He loved. He chose not to take full opportunity of the power that was rightfully His nor to override the authority of His Father’s will. He did so in order that He might display to us a principle He knew full well would be a difficult yet necessary code for us to live by.
If He could willingly choose to submit to the will of His Father, which He knew would even include the most gruesome of all deaths, shouldn’t we?
Every man and every women
Every married couple and every single
Every employee and every boss
Every child and every parent
Every citizen and every government authority
Every congregant and every shepherd
No power worth flaunting and no authority worth usurping will give any of us the amount of satisfaction and enjoyment that comes from aligning with the divine design established by God before the foundation of the world. “It’s critical,” the Spirit whispers underneath the rebellious protests of the ever-changing cultural tide, “learning to yield is paramount.”
Into the round pen of God’s Word we go. Sure it seems a bit narrow compared to the wide, open spaces our culture stretches out before us to roam in. Yet the One who purchased us stands in the center. He calls men and women, young and old alike. No matter our power or strength or position, we can only experience freedom in His presence.
See His arm outstretched.
Hear His voice saying, “Come.”
He’ll teach us to have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had (Phil. 2:5-7) so we might reap the full enjoyment and benefit of lives well ordered and fully surrendered.
Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1-3
1. What feelings do the words submission and control conjure up for you?
2. What are some areas where you feel a compulsion to control when you are supposed to yield?
3. The need to control is often rooted in fear. What fears cause you to desire control?
4. Why do we so often fight being under the control or authority of someone?
5. In what relationships do you need to relax and let someone else lead?
6. What may happen (good or bad) if you let someone else lead? What may happen (good or bad) if you refuse to let someone else lead?
7. How do you need to relinquish control of your relationship to God so He can steer instead of you?
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