When our daughter was an infant, she spent hours in my arms. Then she learned to walk, and our times together have grown increasingly shorter ever since. This makes those rare moments when she sits with me on the couch or invites me to spend an afternoon with her at the mall even more special. If you’re a parent, I imagine you can relate. Today Zeke Lam, author of subMISSION shares the heart of another parent–our Heavenly Father. I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to fathom the depths of God’s love, but we can catch a glimpse of it when we look at our own children.
Incomprehensible Love by Zeke Lam
When I consider God’s love for us, it generates an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. His unconditional and insurmountable love towards His children is easily the most powerful truth in our lives. Understanding the level of love that Christ offers has often been a reality that is difficult to fully grasp. Why does God care so much about me? How am I supposed to reciprocate that kind of commitment? These questions crossed my mind as I matured in my walk with Him.
The birth of my first child was an eye-opening event that catapulted my faith as it relates to grasping His love for me. On one occasion however, I received a love lesson that altered my thinking and settled any uncertainties as to what God expects of my life.
It was a typical Sunday evening service where I was filling in for our pastor who was travelling. With my head bowed in prayer as I always do before preaching, I heard a loud commotion coming from the rear of the church. It was my two-year old son. With tears flowing, he kicked, screamed, and wrestled out of my wife’s arms and made a mad dash towards the front of the church where his daddy sat. All I could hear was the loud chant of: “I want my daddy. I want my daddy!” My wife caught him and settled him down, but he generated quite a scene amidst the formal and quiet atmosphere of this particular service.
Two things happened as I laughed from the front row. First, I experienced an incredible amount of joy. As my son proclaimed his love for me, he did so with no regard for his surroundings. He didn’t care what other people thought. He refused to be held back. He wanted to run to his dad. I was so proud.
As I pondered with appreciation this little outburst and prepared to approach the podium, God spoke to my heart, “This is all I want from you.”
This was a paradigm shift in my life. In relation to God’s love, what He expects from me became so simple. He wants me to want Him with no regard for what others think. He wants me to want Him to the extent that I hold nothing back. He wants me to run to Him with all I have.
He doesn’t just command our love. He desires it.
subMISSION:
What is the greatest challenge that the Church is facing today? In one 
word, author Zeke Lam suggests that the following is the greatest challenge: submission, or the lack thereof. It is not the external forces that nullify the testimony of a vibrant and Christ-centered Church. Instead it is the lack of submission to the Lord within the heart of each believer. Zeke Lam shares Scriptural truths coupled with real life experiences to demonstrate a life of biblical submission. Are you ready to live a life of joyful submission unto Christ?
Zeke Lam is a 27-year-old youth minister, evangelist, and missionary who followed God’s leading in 2010 and moved his family to Sugar Land, Texas. Although they knew nothing about the area, they soon met a church family that changeed their lives.
Writing subMISSION was another unexpected detour in Zeke’s life. In the book, he outlines his best advice for daily preparing yourself to be obedient to the Lord.
‘If you don’t prepare,’ he says, ‘one of two things will happen: 1) You will not hear the call, or 2) you will hear but not have the courage to obey.’
Zeke, his wife Kathleen, and their three children currently reside in Virginia.
In order to be submitted to God, it helps to know His incredible love for us. Before I knew God, when I had mis-characterized Him as a God who set arbitrary rules to watch us squirm under his oppression. I felt he had no idea what we were going through. It was only after I knew His love that I could see the great love behind the Ten Commandments and His guidelines for life in the Bible – that there was greater freedom in obeying Him than in the submission I had under sin. As Bob Dylan says – you got to serve someone – now whom do I want to serve? satan who hates me and brings sickness, disease, death or a God who loves me, knows the hairs on my head, has my name inscribed in His palm, and cares so much for me. The choice is easy – serve God. Have a blessed day.
Love your comment, Heather! And you are so right! Jesus said, “If you *love* me, you’ll obey me.” And there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear. 🙂 Have a blessed day, my friend!
Submission in today’s culture receives such a bad rap because it’s perceived as giving up your own mind. But we have the mind of Christ, it is sound, and it is saved. Submission is the only way to hear His voice in the whirlwind of daily chaos. Blessings!
Loved how you put that, Donna! And I think submission is hard because to submit, you must first die to self, and oh, how my self-life fights for dominance! But when I remember God only has my best in mind, it’s much easier.