Part of submission to Christ is being content and satisfied in his will. When this occurs, it is a beautiful thing. I have been reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. It is wonderful! They talk a lot about this in the first couple of chapters in their book:

           “And what does beauty say to us? Think of what it is like to be caught in traffic for more than an hour. Horns blaring, people shouting obscenities. Exhaust pouring in your windows, suffocating you. Then remember what it’s like to come into a beautiful place, a garden or a meadow or a quiet beach. There is room for your soul. It expands. You can breathe again. You can rest. It is good. All is well. I sit outside on a summer evening and just listen and behold and drink it all in, and my heart begins to quiet and peace begins to come into my soul. My heart tells me that ‘All will be well,’ as Julian of Norwich concluded. ‘And all manner of things will be well.’
           That is what beauty says, All shall be well.
           And this is what it’s like to be with a woman at rest, a woman comfortable  in her feminine beauty. She is enjoyable to be with. She is lovely. In her presence your heart stops holding its breath. You relax and believe once again that all will be well. And this is also why a woman who is striving is so disturbing, for a woman who is not at rest in her heart says to the world, ‘All is not well. Things are not going to turn out all right.’ ‘Like a fountain troubled,’ as Shakespeare said, ‘muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty.’ We need what Beauty speaks. What it says is hard to put into words. But part of its message is that all is well. All will be well.”

Submission is beauty. It is inviting to the people around the woman who is submitting because when a woman submits to the Lord, there is a peace and countenance about her that is indescribable. It is explained in this verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV). This passage is the step by step process of submitting your will to the Lord. First, you make a conscious effort to not be anxious. Second, by prayer and supplication, you let the Lord know what your requests are. Then, third, the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. This peace is indescribable. It is without understanding. It is supernatural.

This is the peace that comes from the Lord when we submit to his will. We need to focus completely on his will for our lives because his will is perfect. We may have our plans and the “perfect” way we think our life should go, but the Lord is the one directs our paths. In his perfect plan, we may find rest. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand…The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” (Proverbs 19:21, 23 ESV).

To Be Continued… =)