Tapping Out

If the name Royce Gracie doesn't mean anything to you, that's okay.  If it does, you know that Royce is one of the men that created the cultural phenomenon that is MMA (mixed martial arts) and put UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) on the map.  You also know he's one of UFC's charter Hall of Fame members, and he participated in one of the most famous MMA matches of all time against Ken Shamrock (which went to a draw...most likely what made it so famous).

But why would I be spending your time giving you a rundown on Royce Gracie?  Because he's a UFC record-holder.  Royce won 11 matches, more than anyone else in UFC history, by submission.  Royce Gracie made eleven men surrender.  They stopped fighting...completely.  They yielded to Royce's authority, giving up on the dream they had of being victorious, winning the big money, and wearing the championship belt which told everyone in the world that they were the best.

Most fighters would agree that if they had to lose a fight, they'd rather get knocked out or disqualified than submit.  Yielding to someone else's authority is embarrassing for them, because it tells the world they weren't good enough, strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, or disciplined enough.  Fighters are too proud for that.

Are you?

In James 4:7, we find the most fundamental element of living a humble life: "Submit yourselves, then, to God."  Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?  We know God's bigger than us, stronger than us, so it seems natural, but if you ponder the totality of the statement, it gets a little dicey.  How difficult is it for you to give God everything?  Jesus, paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:5, told the Pharisees that the "first and greatest commandment" was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Mt. 22:37-38).  The word 'all' is tiny, but it carries seriously large impact.  And to think that Jesus was just talking about loving God!

Are you ready to tap out to God?

Submitting to God is tough stuff, and to even attempt to do it takes a big-time reality check.  That's my next post...stay tuned.