Learning How to Submit to God

 

It is my belief that submission and black women don’t easily mix. I say this because I am a black woman, and I know how hard it is to submit. This is especially true for single black women. This submission can be to a man, to God, or to our bosses. It is hard. Why?

Submission means to surrender our will to the authority of another. It means giving up what we want to do the will of another. And, for some African American women like myself this is so difficult. It is difficult for me because I have been single all my life. As a result, I have had to learn how to think for myself and for my children.  I have had to make all of the hard decision, to go the tire shop and bargain for tires, and to the car lot and try to get a good deal even though I knew the odds were against me. There was no man to do this for me.

So, when you ask an independent woman to lay down all those years of training~to give up doing what she sees as best in order to service God or to be obedient to a husband~you are almost expecting a miracle. But, thank God for miracles.

It has taken me all these years to see that my way is not always right. As God said, His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. He knows what I don’t know and he sees what I don’t see. I have had to remember this when things don’t go my way, when I don’t get the car I want, or the man I believe is just the one for me. I have to remember this when my job is not going as I would like and I think about giving up. I have to remember this instead of running away from the job, the problem, or the circumstance. I have to stop focusing on myself and focus on God and his wisdom. He knows the end results. He sees that man’s heart. He knows why I am at the job I am at and why. Nothing happens by accident. All things work toward the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. God knows.

So, I am learning that instead of struggling or having one of my temper tantrums to trust God. I am learning to say “It is okay. I will obey.”

It is my belief that this is the reason God allowed me to be single for so long. In all honesty, if I had married before now, I am sure it would have ended in disaster.  I had to learn to trust people. I had to learn to stop reacting negatively to situations and trying to make things work according to my own will. I had to realize that there is a higher power.

Although it is often difficult, I am learning to submit to God. I am learning to stop trying to be so independent and learn to depend on God.