One of the reasons Christians don’t grow is that they don’t want to have to be submitted to the Lord. (excerpt from Receiving Revelation from the Foundation Stone pt.3, by Dr. Chester C. Pipkin)

When I heard this in Bible Study recently, it was a real gut-punch.  To tell the truth, up until recently, I have behaved as if unbelievers were the only ones who were resistant to submitting to the Lord.  My thinking was that other people didn’t want to believe in God because they wanted to be in charge of their own lives.  I ignored the reality that the same could be true for me, and that whenever I refuse to give up control of my life to the Lord, I hinder my own growth.  How can I expect to grow if I insist on being in charge?

Suddenly it was so obvious!  If I’m taking a class, I don’t take over for the teacher and still expect him to teach me.  And if I’m working for a company, I don’t defy the boss and expect to be promoted.  Why would it be different with God?  The Bible says, 

Therefore submit to God… Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded. ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:7-8, 10 NKJV)

If I let pride make me think that it’s only other people that need to be reminded to submit to God, I’m going to stay immature in my faith, or worse.  It takes humility to hear the pastor’s correction and apply it to myself rather than thinking it’s for them.  But when I take that good, hard look in the mirror, and submit to what God is saying, then I can grow and mature the way God is calling all of us to do.