A question came to me a few days ago about submission to one another in the church. ‘Submit’ does seem to be a strong word but it is very Biblical. In reading Romans 15, we find Paul using musical terms such as ‘harmony’, ‘accord’, and ‘with one voice.’ I was reading in a devotional book today on this subject and the author described how musicians play differently when they are in an orchestra or a band than when they play as an individual. When a musician performs as an individual he or she can play at their own pace and even improvise as they play. However, when you play in a group you must follow the lead of the conductor and you must ‘submit’ to the other musicians. Sometimes, you even have to take a back seat and let someone else be in the spotlight. This is a perfect illustration of the local church. We are not individual musicians performing on our own. We are a team, a family, an orchestra. Jesus Christ is our conductor, conducting our lives through His Word. We are all to ‘submit’ to His leading. We are also to ‘submit’ to each other. Sometimes people in churches will complain that there is not enough workers or the young people are not doing their part. But, yet they still hold on to what they do, not giving opportunities for others to serve. Maybe it is time for others to ‘be in the spotlight’ maybe we need to become back-up singers so that new people can use their gifts and let their abilities  shine. Or perhaps we should start new ministries that we can lead so that someone else can take over what we were doing. There are also times when things happen in the church that you may not like. As a matter of fact, if I was going to be picky, I would say there are many things in my church that I would personally do differently. But, we must all ask ourselves, ‘what is most important?’ Is it important that you get your way and have everything just the way you want it? Or is better to ‘submit’ to others and ‘surrender’ our personal preferences for the sake of unity in the church. The only thing we are not to ‘submit’ to is false doctrine and teaching. But as long as everything is being done according to scripture, then our personal preferences don’t really matter. Real unity comes from submission to one another. Jesus is teaching us to sing together with lives that are united in our love for Him, but also in our love for one another. So, the next time things don’t go your way, ask yourself, ‘is it worth complaining about?’ or should I submit in love.