Walking in Submission Without Self-Righteousness
There is always more. If you have walked with God for more than five minutes, you know that already. It sneaks up on you. You think you have things dialed in, you have your routine, your prayers, your quiet time. Then the Lord taps you on the shoulder and points to something else.
For me, the latest thing was speeding. Honestly, I had not thought much of it before. I am not the guy weaving through traffic at 90. But there I was, driving maybe ten miles over, tea in the cupholder, some worship music on low volume, and the Holy Spirit nudged me. Not harsh, just that quiet voice: submit to the speed limit. I did not expect that.
It brought to mind “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” (1 Peter 2:13 NASB). A verse I had read dozens of times, suddenly alive. So I backed it down to the speed limit. Felt a little silly at first. And, of course, cars started blowing by me like I was standing still. Some days it is a line of SUVs and work trucks, all in a hurry. Right there is where the second lesson hit me.
My heart started shifting. I caught myself looking at them thinking, “They should know better. I am doing it right.” That is not obedience anymore. That is pride. And God, faithful as always, corrected me. I remembered Romans 14:4: “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls.” My job was to obey what God had told me, not to turn it into a measuring stick against others.
This is where I think a lot of us get tripped up. You start walking out what God shows you, and without even realizing it, you begin adding weight to others that God has not placed on them yet. The truth is, we all have different areas the Lord is working on at different times. What He says to me today might not be what He is dealing with in your life right now. It is not about being better. It is about being faithful.
Philippians 2:12–13 says it well: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.” That verse hits different when you are sitting in the slow lane with a bunch of angry drivers flying past. It is not about me looking good. It is about letting God shape my heart.
That is really the point. Ephesians 4:1–2 tells us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness.” All of us—those called to teach, lead, shepherd, evangelize, prophesy—need that same humility. It does not matter what role you fill. Pride will undo it all if you let it.
And listen, this is not saying ignore sin. Some things God calls all of us to. But the smaller details, the quiet convictions—those come in waves. We are all sinners. We all fall short. Romans 3:23 does not expire just because you joined a Bible study or got a ministry title. Yeshua is the only reason any of us are standing.
That morning on the highway was a reminder. The moment I start feeling proud of my obedience, I need to check my heart. It is all grace. “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NASB). That is not just a preacher line. It is the raw truth. If God is not holding me up, I am falling down.
So Beloved, if the Lord has been dealing with you about something small lately—maybe how you talk to people, maybe how you spend your time, maybe even how you drive—listen. Obey Him. But as you walk that out, do not look sideways. Keep your eyes on Yeshua. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”
This whole thing is not a contest. It is a family growing together under the same Father. Galatians 5:16 says: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” That includes the flesh’s desire to judge.
And just in case you need the reminder, James 4:6 still stands: “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
There is always more. That does not mean more rules. It means more of Him shaping us. More grace when we fail. More mercy when we fall short. And always more chances to walk in love with one another.
So today, slow down. Literally and spiritually. Walk in submission. Walk in humility. Trust that the same God who speaks to you knows how to speak to others too.