Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

I’m not going to lie. This verse was a hard one to read. Especially during this season of my life. Coming into the IGNITE program, right off the bat I felt choked by the rules. They tell me when to get up, when to eat, what to wear, how to talk. And I felt like they had no right to do so. Who are these people to tell me how to do life? I thought to myself often my first couple weeks here.  I hadn’t yet submitted to them and recognized their God given authority over me during this season of my life. God has really been revealing to me why their in my life. The staff only wants what’s best for me and to glorify the Lord in all things. These things I’ve been complaining about, they go through the same thing. In fact they’re held to a higher standard.  They get up earlier, eat the same things I do, obey the same rules concerning dress, and speech. But they do so without complaint. I haven’t heard a single staff member complain about the rules. Because these rules are here to edify and build one another up. They’re here to bring glory to God.

Even more so, they’ve all been through the program. The staff all knows what it’s like to go through the program and was under the very same rules I’m under now. We’re all under the same authority in our lives, God’s. I can see that through the staff here, that they truly have surrendered their “rights” to God completely. So why do I give them so much grief? To simply put it, I’m prideful. And nosy. I want to know things and do things right and have all of my questions answered because I don’t want to mess up. I don’t want to deal with my failure and humble myself and ask for forgiveness and grace.  

Application:  I will submit and obey the authority by doing what I’m asked of during KP without complaint. I will also pray for a heart of joy in submission and obedience.

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