IBS Application for Ephesians 5:21

“...submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Reverent submission to the Lord and mutual submission to our brothers and sisters go hand in hand. When you think about the context in which Paul writes this verse, in which he is telling the Ephesians to walk as imitators of Christ in love for both Him and each other, it becomes easy to connect this verse to Christ’s declaration of the greatest commandment: That we should love God with all that we are, and that the second greatest commandment which is like it is that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.

These two commandments being similar in the eyes of the Lord suggests that doing the first entails the doing the second. Loving God with all we are ought to inspire a love for the people around us. This also makes sense, because God tells us that the manner in which He wants us to express our love for Him is in loving others in the manner He has shown love to us.

Now, with this in mind, we move into this command from Paul to the church in Ephesus to submit to each other for no other reason than to act in reverence for the life of service that Jesus led during His time on earth. Submission in this manner means looking not only to one’s own interests, but to the interests of others. For those called to leadership, it means sacrificing and laying down what you may want to better serve those around you. Ultimately, self-sacrifice and conquering self for the sake of others is what reverent submission is all about.


In submitting to my teammates in this way, I believe that I’ll be able to better serve and love them in a manner that glorifies the Lord and demonstrates my love for Him. It’s a goal we’re all to strive for. For my application, I’ll spend some time in morning devotion and before Team Guatemala’s meetings when we have them this week laying down my own desires and praying for selflessness in order to be able better serve and love both my team and God.

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