There are a lot of verses in the Bible that tell us we should submit ourselves to God. It isn’t something we’re always comfortable with, but when we look at it from a biblical perspective, we start to see that it’s a positive force to accomplish good, not a negative force that God’s using to make us feel oppressed or inferior. One of the Greek words used in the Bible for submission and being obedient is hupotasso. It means to place yourself willingly under the authority of another. So when we’re asked to submit to God, it doesn’t involve being intimidated by His power. Instead it implies being willing to take who and what God’s made us, and submit it all to His authority, allowing Him to use us as He sees best. And when it comes to obedience as God intends, our best role model is Jesus. Here are a few examples: 1) He was obedient to His parents’ authority (as God commanded in Exodus 20:12). After Jesus’ parents found Him in the temple as a young boy, the Bible tells us: ‘he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them’ (Luke 2:51 ESV). 2) He respected the authority of secular rulers (as long as their authority didn’t clash with God’s will). When the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus by asking Him if they should pay taxes, Jesus replied, ‘give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God’ (Mark 12:17 NLT). 3) He always submitted to God’s will. Before He was arrested and crucified, He prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want’ (Matthew 26:36 NCV). When we’re obedient and submit to God’s authority, we’re letting God work in and through us.