Have you ever seen submission in action?

A 5’2” policewoman stands in front of a large semi-truck. There she stands directing traffic with a little whistle in one hand and the other hand high in the air. The big truck approaches, then grinds to a halt as she stands in the middle of the road with a one hand in the air. Who has more raw power—the woman or the truck? Of course, the little woman has no physical power to stop the huge machine in her own strength, but what she does have is authority. Borrowed power. She represents a power even larger than the truck. A power that is invisible yet so great that it stops the truck and brings the massive diesel engine into submission. We call it “stopping power.” We see the same principle on the farm. A little bit is put in the mouth of a large workhorse, and the animal is directed at the slightest impulse of the farmer’s hand. Something small may overcome something much more powerful in force.

I recall the night my son discovered that his new blue and red toy sword with flashing lights had great power. While I was driving down the road one dark night after a church service, my son was waving his sword back and forth inside our car, much to my chagrin. “Don’t do that!” I cried. The flashing lights inside the sword were a great distraction to me. The inside of our car flashed bright blue and red. As I drove the car a bit farther, however, I noticed an odd thing. Cars all around us were pulling off the road. Then it dawned on me. They were “submitting” to my young son’s toy sword, believing it to be the lights of an unmarked squad car! A wave of new-found power swept over me. I had discovered a new power in my son’s plastic toy sword! I had stopping power.

“Keep doing that!” I hollered. (I felt a strange impulse to make my way to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts). I also knew there were a few people I wanted to “haul in!” My conscience did get the best of me, however, and I did have my son turn off the sword.

The morning sermon series at BBC has found us looking at the practical outworking of Peter’s call for Christians to put to silence (stop the mouths) the foolish men by “doing good” (1Pet. 2:15).

Servants, spouses, citizens, and all who suffer wrongfully are to place themselves under the authority of others for the cause of the Gospel. Much is accomplished by willing deference. The greatest power you will ever exert over the world is in the secret strength of surrender. Our wills are ever at war with God’s will, but in our brokenness, we discover His strength. Someone has said, “an unbroken colt is so very beautiful but so very useless.” How true. The Lord submitted himself to the suffering of the cross in order to gain our redemption.

The apostle Peter reminds us that we are to submit to laws, to rulers, to masters, to husbands, to each other, and even to wrongful suffering. We are to submit, not because these things are more powerful than we are, but we are to submit “for the Lord’s sake” (I Pet 2:13). “Not my will but thine be done” is the hardest prayer we could ever pray, and yet it yields the greatest triumphs.

The truth is that we are to see the badge of God’s greater authority stamped on each human relationship. Authority is ordained by God, and our submission to our authority brings God greater glory and provides us with the greater power of influence. When I don’t lash out at my authority, when I defer to others, when I smile in my affliction, (especially when it is wrongfully administered), God uses this meek spirit to put to silence the mouths of those who oppose me. This is the stopping power of submission.

At the front door of the church, after the morning message, a dear woman took my hand and said, “It’s true, Pastor. My quiet testimony in our home was the tool that brought my husband to the Lord. He couldn’t shout any louder than my silent testimony spoke to him and, finally, he got saved.” I Peter 3:1 says that the unsaved husband may be won “without a word” by the silent testimony of the wife. What great power is found in the wordless word!

Why not write us a message today about how your personal submission has been used by God to influence others?

“Prayers upward, Blessings downward, Gospel outward, Church onward, Heaven Forward.”