The Bible Edge
Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge
1 Peter 2:18
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
In today’s cultural mindset, the above verse contains some very unpopular words and thoughts. Servants, masters, fear, the very idea of being in subjection to another. Very unpopular indeed. Yet, the next two verses record the reason why a person should pay attention to these words and this thing of being subject to an authority figure. 1 Peter 2:19-20 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Being subject to a manager, boss, supervisor, etc. is acceptable with God, it is even called thankworthy. Who will thank you for this act of obedience? Not the manager, not the froward person, not the co-workers, it must be speaking about our Father in Heaven, the Lord God. Imagine, God thanking you! How can He thank you? Supernatural blessings, answered prayers, even through moving His unseen hand of providence to make things happen that would be impossible without His involvement.
Yes, willingly putting oneself in subjection is perhaps the most real thing we can do that mirrors Jesus’ entire earthly existence. He submitted Himself to His Heavenly Father, to His parents (Luke 2:51), even to Roman authority of the day. In doing so He fulfilled scriptures like:
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Yes, that command was written after His resurrection and ascension into heaven but make no doubt the Word of God would never command us to do that which Jesus did not also perform in His life on earth.
Back to the point. By being subject to those in authority in our lives, especially when they are froward (meaning harsh, tough, cruel, and unkind) we show forth the spirit of Christ. Remember…. but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Somehow God finds it acceptable when we take wrong patiently. We don’t have to understand it to obey it.
Hopefully all the authority figures in your life are kind, fair, understanding, and wonderful in all aspects. To such there is no difficulty. But to the froward, that’s another matter. But by reacting properly to the froward, God gets the glory, and you will obtain His thanks. That’s the Bible Edge on the matter of submission. Simply put we obey God, He gets the Glory, and He repays our obedience. Always and forever.
William Howe, Ph.D.