Living Under His Lordship
Scripture
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
Romans 14:7–10 (NIV)
This is Paul’s way of reminding us that we are not the center of the universe. Our lives are not about simply pleasing ourselves or chasing our own desires. We belong to the Lord, and everything about us, our living and our dying, is meant to glorify Him. Jesus did not die to do our bidding. He died to save us and to claim us as His own.
Every so often, we should pause and examine our lives to see if there are areas not yet surrendered to Christ’s lordship. If the Lord reveals something to us, the right response is not to excuse it but to repent, submit, and surrender.
“Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone to accept, His lordship.”¹
—Elisabeth Elliot, Discipline: The Glad Surrender
Elliot’s words cut to the heart of what surrender actually requires. It’s not enough to agree with the idea of Christ as Lord, our will and our affections, the things we want and the things we love, have to actually come under His authority. Our lives are meant to be lived in joyful obedience to Jesus, who is Lord of both the living and the dead.
Paul also warns us against judging or looking down on our brothers and sisters. None of us sits on the throne of judgment. That place belongs to Christ alone, and one day, each of us will stand before Him. So today, look for the place where you’ve quietly taken back the throne, in how you spend your time, in who you’ve judged, in what you refuse to let go of, and hand it back to Him. The One who gave everything for you can be trusted with everything you have.
Reflection
- Where are you most tempted to live for yourself rather than for the Lord?
- What part of your life might the Spirit be inviting you to freshly surrender under Christ’s lordship?
- How can remembering God’s mercy toward you shape the way you treat others today?
Prayer
Ask the Lord to reveal any areas of your life that are not fully surrendered to Him. Thank Him that you belong to Him in both life and death. Pray for a heart of humility that resists judgment and overflows with love toward others.
Footnote:
¹ Elisabeth Elliot, Discipline: The Glad Surrender (Grand Rapids: Revell, 2006), 44.