For His Sake, Not Mine
Even a burden feels lighter when carried for love’s sake. So too, submission becomes joy when done for Jesus’ sake.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones points us to the simple but searching truth found in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” At first glance, it may seem like a common command, but Jones shows us it carries a deep principle about how we live under authority. The natural tendency of our flesh is to resist, saying, “I am free in Jesus, so I owe nothing to anyone.” Yet Paul insists that obedience and submission must be carried out “in the Lord.” This changes everything.
Jones explains that many approach submission as “duty’s sake.” Others may go further and say they do things out of reverence for life or for moral ideals. But the Christian’s motivation is higher and richer. We submit out of reverence for Jesus. It is not a grudging compliance or a forced duty, but a willing surrender flowing from our surrender to Him. When we have yielded to Him fully, we can yield to others joyfully, even in hard places.
This surrender transforms relationships. When we can say, “I have submitted to Jesus, now I can submit to you for His sake,” it saves our dignity and fills obedience with joy. Even in places of difficulty or unfairness, what would normally feel like oppression can be turned into an offering for Jesus’ sake. The heart is healed and relationships softened when His name becomes the reason for our yielding.
Jones captures the beauty of this truth by reminding us that everything done for His sake heals. Submission becomes strength, not weakness. What the enemy intends as tyranny becomes instead an opportunity for love. The way of the cross turns even wrongs into occasions of glory, because when everything is done for Jesus’ sake, it is transformed into something good.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, your life is not your own, for you were bought with a price. You are free, yet your freedom is found in joyful surrender to My Son. When you yield to others for His sake, you are not losing yourself, you are finding the liberty of love. Do not see submission as loss, but as participation in His life, who humbled Himself and became obedient even to the point of death.
In Him you can submit to one another out of reverence, not out of fear. This preserves your dignity, for your submission is first to Me. In Jesus you are secure, complete, and accepted, and from that place of fullness you can yield to others without resentment. Even what seems unfair can be turned into blessing, for what you do for His sake becomes holy in My sight.
Do not be afraid when wrong is done to you, for I am able to turn it into right when you offer it in Him. Everything for His sake is transformed, and nothing is wasted. When you live this way, you show that Christ lives in you, and you walk in the glory of the new covenant life.
Scripture References: Ephesians 6:1, Ephesians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Philippians 2:5-8, Romans 6:11-13, Colossians 3:17, Galatians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:13-15, Romans 12:10.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a heavy grocery bag you are carrying. On your own, it digs into your hands and feels like a burden. But when someone you love asks you to carry it for them, the weight feels different. It is no longer just a load, but an expression of love. The bag has not changed, but your reason for carrying it has. In the same way, submission for Jesus’ sake changes the meaning of the act. What once felt heavy becomes light when done in devotion to Him.
Today, when I face an act of obedience or surrender that seems unpleasant, I can quietly say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment, and I yield to others for Your sake.” In that trust, what was heavy becomes light, and what was duty becomes joy.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that everything I do in Jesus’ name is transformed. I rejoice that even submission, which the world views as weakness, becomes strength in You. Thank You that I can yield to others without fear of losing myself, for my life is hidden in Your Son. I rest in the truth that everything for His sake is turned to good, and I trust You to work this out in me today.