The Daily Task, Part One

Most days when I wake up, one of the first thoughts to enter my head is this: “Grace gave you life today.”

I don’t know how often you think about it, but the fact of the matter is that if you are breathing and your brain is functioning enough that you can read and discern this post, it is only because the Author of Life is, at this very moment, sustaining you to do so.

If you ponder this long enough, it might lead you to beg the question, “Why?”

If grace gave me life today, what on earth was it for?

I propose that the day is for two things. First, it is for submission.

Most of us don’t really like the word “submit.” We like even less to practice it. In fact, I would go so far as to say that in many cases we don’t even know how. For example, if somewhere (in a sermon or in devotion or in a blog post) someone tells us that we ought to submit ourselves to the will of the Father, what’s the next thing most of us do?

We come up with a plan. Which is the opposite of submission.

Submission is akin to surrender. A person who surrenders has no plan. Nothing is in their hands.

That, I think, is where we must begin. Today.

Submission is giving to Him that which is before us.

It might be a blessing, in which case we are to submit that blessing to him with gratitude, desiring that he show us why indeed he has blessed us with it.

It might be a command, in which case we are to submit to that command without hesitation, desiring that he affirm our obedience with his promises.

Which means it might also be a promise. In that case, we are even to submit to his promises. Long reflection on that which he has promised is a grace-saturated reservoir of our strength.

It might even be that temptation, or opportunity for sin, is put before us. It might be that a sudden trial, or a long, drawn-out loss, is put before us. Is not our Father sovereign? He puts both good and evil before us—and in both cases, our aim is submission. Not a plan. Surrender. Nothing in our hands. 

We really can do this, and we really can do this because we know he has purposed all things for our good. 

What would happen, then, if today we submitted every passing thought, every unexpected encounter, or every routine task to Him first?

What is the day for? It is for submission. And what is submission for?

Stay tuned.

-Ryan