We live in the time when pride and arrogance is the norm. Our generation is a proud and godless generation and as a result misery of all types is on the increase. Pride is a curse in any heart where it is found. Pride destroyed a beautiful angel and it will destroy any heart which allows it to foster. Pride is the root cause of every toxic relationship and the failure of many relationships. As our society is becoming more proud, as more people are seeking to exalt themselves above one another, know for certain that relationships will become more difficult to maintain .
The story of Hagar is an interesting one. Hagar was the slave girl of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Abraham and Sarah had no children and the Lord had promised to make Abraham a great nation. But Sarah, lacking faith in the promise, convinced Abraham to take her Egyptian servant Hagar as a second wife. Side note, in the Bible most people who had two wives had great difficulties, bad experiences. Having more than one wife is a horrible experience even for a King . So Abraham listened to his wife Sarah and took Hagar as a second wife 👰🏽 and as soon as Hagar got pregnant 🤰🏾, problems arised in the home.
Hagar now thought she was better than Sarah and she began to look down on her mistress. Maybe she was saying I am the one who has bored Abraham a child. I am better than you Sarah, and soon I may replace you as first wife . I don't need to respect you anymore, I am the true wife and not you. The Bible said in Genesis 16:4, " and he went in unto Hagar, she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes ." Pride became the downfall of Hagar, she forgot her place in life, she forgot that she was Sarah's servant.
"Pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. " Hagar became proud and she forgot the source of her pregnancy. She forgot it was Sarah who convinced Abraham to take her as his mistress. Hagar bit the hand that fed her and misery came into her life as a result . Sarah brought the issue up to Abraham and he said she is your servant, deal with her as you please. Sarah began to deal harshly with Hagar, the home became a toxic place for her and she fled the home 🏃🏽♀️
But the Lord had compassion upon Hagar. In our distress God sees us and desire to rescue us. So the angel of the Lord found Hagar in the wilderness and ask her where was she going? She said she was fleeing from Sarah, her mistress. But the angel told her to go back to her mistress 😦, and submit to her 😥. Here it is, that dreadful word to a proud and arrogant generation," submission. " In telling Hagar to submit to her mistress, the angel was showing the true cause of her distress, a proud and arrogant spirit . And for many of us, this is the true cause of our distress, a proud and arrogant spirit .
Sarah was her mistress and it was, as one my friend like to say," her biblical responsibility to submit to her mistress." But she exalted herself above her mistress and misery was the result. Many marriages collapse because of lack of submission. Marriage is a three part relationship, it includes first the Lord, the husband and then the wife. The husband submits to Christ, the wife submit to the husband. But many husbands refuse to submit to Christ and many wives refuse to submit to their husbands. As a result misery, divorce, abuse rule in many homes . The way to a beautiful life is through submission. The angel told Hagar to submit first before he told her about her blessing 🤱🏽
Friends, if you want to experience true joy in life and want to truly enjoy God's blessing for your life, then learn the art of submission. First submit yourself to God daily. Daily come to the Lord and say Lord help me to submit to you in all areas of my life. Then submit to God's appointed leaders in your life. God has appointed leaders so that things can be in order. God is a God of order and order involve hierarchy. So submit to God's appointed leader. Children submit to your parents, wives submit to your husbands. Employees submit to your managers. Slaves submit to your masters. Citizens submit to the rulers . Church members submit to the elders, pastors etc.
When we submit to God's appointed leaders, it is to God Himself we are submitting and the Lord will greatly bless us like He blessed Hagar and made her a mother of many nations. So friends, let us learn to first submit to God and then we will have the humility to submit and not rebel against God's appointed leaders. Show me someone who doesn't like the word submission and I will show you a proud and arrogant person, who's life will be hard. But even that person God is looking to bless and the key to receiving God's blessings is through submission. Let our prayers be, Lord help me to submit and enjoy the beauty of submission 🙏🏾
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