Guest Reflection: In Christian Marriage, True Submission Means True Success

Few consider the power of submission; it is a simple, voluntary yielding done out of love for someone or something.  An athlete voluntarily submits to the agony of training and competition.  In his pain, he is united with his fellow competitors as they strive to meet their goals. 

P>FLORIDA (Catholic Online) - "It is one of the paradoxes of creation that we gain control by submission." (Fulton J. Sheen)

Yet submission's reputation is worse than any four-letter word currently in use.  Feminist groups and others have denigrated the concept of submission without considering its merits.  Children submit to the authority of their parents, teachers, religious and community leaders. 

Adults submit to the laws of the land, their employers, the demands of their state in life, to various rules and organizations that serve their purposes.  All of these things make for good children, good parents, and good citizens.

Still, few consider the power of submission; it is a simple, voluntary yielding done out of love for someone or something.  An athlete voluntarily submits to the agony of training and competition.  In his pain, he is united with his fellow competitors as they strive to meet their goals. 

Most sacrifice is an exchange of immediate gratification for a higher good to be enjoyed later.  Self-sacrifice provides its own reward; it is the essence of success.  It is unrealistic to believe success can be attained without submission and sacrifice.  Success is forged by desire and hard work.  Time and again, the temptation to shortcut the process obliterates these truths.

Today, couples think of submission as it relates to marital relations but it extends further, to respect for other's experience, wisdom and dignity.  Married couples conquer the world and its temptations by sacrificing for each other and their families. 

When one submits to their partner and the will of God, they build a lasting union on a foundation of love.  This love grows in direct proportion to the defeat of the ego.  Couples must love each other without bitterness and safeguard their families' well being in a generous and devoted manner.  In this way, families are united through mutual sacrifice.

Submission is the stuff of successful people.  People, who form good habits, learn from experience, establish loyalties, accept others and expect specific results from their efforts and actions.  Working together to attain common goals demands cooperation.  Doing this amicably is a notable feat.  Success derived in unity of purpose and mind is a special joy.

People who believe God has a plan for their lives do not alter it to accommodate their wishes.  Submission is not defeat, often; it is the ultimate success achieved by submitting to the notion, "Thy will be done."

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Dan Shea lives and writes from Florida. Long active in his parish and in the Right to Life movement, he has written two books "Beyond Banter & Banalities" and "Breaking Father Down."

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