Submission

“A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.  A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, servant to all.” – Martin Luther

The Discipline of Submission  Is…

- The desire to have Jesus as the Master of my life in absolutely every way.

- Aligning my will and freedom with God’s will and freedom. God’s will for us includes freely submitting to each other out of love and reverence for Christ.

- A means of releasing the burden of always having to have our own way. Richard Foster says, “The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today.” (Celebration, p. 111)

Foster says that almost all church fights and splits occur because people do not have the freedom to give   in to each other. We insist that a critical issue is at stake; we are fighting for a sacred   principle. Usually it is not. Only in submission are we able enabled to bring this spirit to a   place where it no longer controls us. 

- A biblical teaching on submission focuses primarily on the spirit with which we view other people. 

-  A fulfillment of Jesus’ astonishing statement, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

The Discipline of Submission (Self Denial) is Not…

- Self denial does not mean the loss of our identity.

- Self denial is not the same thing as self-contempt. 

- Self denial is not the same thing as becoming a doormat for others, or a weak-willed follower.

Self denial is the freedom to give way to others….to hold others’ interests above our own.

SUBMISSION AS TAUGHT BY JESUS

1. Jesus Lived the “Cross Life”

2. Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

3. He shattered the customs of his day by taking women seriously and being willing to meet with children.

4. He lived the cross life when he took a towel and washed the feet of the disciples.

5. Jesus did away with all the claims to privileged position and status.

6. Jesus called his followers to live the cross life.

- Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

- Mark 9:35 “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

- John 13:15  “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

7. The “cross life” is the life of voluntary submission; freely accepted servanthood.

SUBMISSION AS TAUGHT IN THE EPISTLES

1.  Philippians 2:4-7 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

2. 1 Peter 2:21-23 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

3. Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

4. Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

5. Colossians 3:18-4:1 … Wives, Husbands, Servants all instructed to be in submission to one another.

THE ACTS OF SUBMISSION

1.  Submission to God. We are to seek God’s will, no matter where it leads, and do it. Foster: “As the first words of the morning are of submission, so are the last words of the night. We surrender our body, mind, and spirit into the hands of God to do with us as he pleases through the long darkness.” (Celebration, p. 122) George Matheson’s hymn:
     Make me a captive, Lord, And then I shall be free;
     Force me to render up my sword, And I shall conqueror be.
     I sink in life’s alarms, When by myself I stand;
     Imprison me within Thine arms, And strong shall be my hand.

2. Submission to the Scriptures. We yield ourselves to hear the word, to receive the word, and to obey the word.

3. Submission to our Family. We are to freely and graciously make allowances for each other.

4. Submission to our Neighbors and those we meet in the course of our daily lives. If they are in need, we help them.  We perform small acts of kindness and ordinary neighborliness: sharing our food, baby-sitting their children, mowing their lawn, sharing tools, etc. “To have no opinion of ourselves, and to think always well and highly of others, is great
  wisdom and perfection.” Thomas a Kempis

5. Submission to the believing community, the body of Christ. Three areas…

Sin: How do you respond when someone points out sin in your life? Do you get defensive? Do you get angry? Do you begin listing all their faults? Or do you examine the truth of what they are saying? Do you consider that this person might not be acting “holier-than-thou” but rather in your best interests? (link)

Body Life:  If there are jobs to be done and tasks to be accomplished, we look at them closely to see if they are God’s invitation to the Cross-life. We cannot do everything but we can do some things.

Discipleship: We should allow others to mentor, disciple, teach, correct, and guide us.

6. Submission to the Broken and Despised. It is the helpless and undefended to which we are to be drawn (James 1:27).

7. Submission to the World. We do not live in isolation.  We have an environmental responsibility that affects people around the world and generations yet to come.  We are to be determined to live as a responsible member of an increasingly irresponsible world.

THE FRUIT OF SUBMISSION

1.  Being free from the need to be in charge.

2. Teachability.

3. Esteeming and honoring others more than yourself.

4. Being free from a rebellious and autonomous spirit.

5. Surrendering and losing your life to find it.

6. Developing approachability, gentleness, and humility.

7. Expressing a deep regard for others and what they might have to offer.

Conclusion

There are dangers in submission … deciding to despise ourselves rather than deny ourselves. There is the submission to things that would bring us or others harm. We should use wisdom and discernment in making these decisions. Other questions arise as we live the ‘cross life’ … but those questions should not keep us from pursuing this Spiritual Discipline of Submission.

EXERCISE: Take an open look at your life. Is there some area where you have not submitted to God? Perhaps there is an area of life where you are demanding your own way when it does not actually have to be your way. Ask God to give you the strength to behave differently in these settings. Act upon what you now know and record your feelings and reflections in your journal.

Online Resource: http://www.watersedge.tv/disciplines_servicesubmission.htm

Silence & Solitude

Solitude and silence go together so perfectly that they are considered together. Those who seek a deeper relationship with God must seek out the recreating stillness of solitude.

SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

1. Silence

Whitney says, “The Discipline of silence is the voluntary and temporary abstention from speaking so that certain spiritual goals might be sought. Sometimes silence is observed in order to read, write, pray, and so on. Though there is no outward speaking, there are internal dialogues with self and with God.” (Whitney, p. 184). “It is difficult to find silence in an age of technology and information. Silence challenges our cultural addiction to amusement, words, music, advertising, noise, alarms and voices …. both silence and waiting make us uncomfortable. They seem so unproductive. We can’t tell if we are doing anything in them. So when we come upon silence, we fill it” Calhoun,  p. 108. “We are so afraid of silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order not to have to look at ourselves in the mirror.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer (via Calhoun, p. 111)

Solitude is the Spiritual Discipline of voluntarily and temporarily withdrawing to privacy   for spiritual purposes. The period of solitude may last only a few minutes or for days. Solitude involves scheduling enough uninterrupted time in a distraction – free environment that you experience isolation and are alone with God.  (Calhoun, p. 111). Solitude is a ‘container discipline’ for the practice of the other spiritual disciplines. (Calhoun, p. 111). Solitude is the practice of being absent from other people and other things so that you can be present with God. In solitude, we rest from our attempts to re-create the world in our image. In solitude, we say to God, “I am here to be changed into whatever you like.” In solitude, we learn to “wait on the Lord.” (Watersedge)

There is a t-shirt that reads, “When I work, I work hard. When I play, I play hard. When I think…I fall asleep.” Contemplation is a four-letter word. (Watersedge)

STEPS INTO SOLITUDE (Foster/Whitney)

Take advantage of the “little solitudes” that fill our day. Early in the morning before the family awakens. When traffic comes to a halt. Short walks. Slip outside just before bed and enjoy the silent night. One family has a special chair; whenever anyone sits in it he or she is saying, “Please don’t bother me, I want to be alone.” Whitney talks about “minute retreats”.

Find places outside the home: a park, a church sanctuary kept unlocked, a retreat center. Calhoun suggests that we need to find some time / place where we are not in competition with social contact, noise, or stimulation.

Attempt to gain control over your words and make them few and full. 

Four times a year withdraw for three to four hours for the purpose of reorienting your life goals.  What do you want to have accomplished one year from now? Ten years from now? Keep a journal of what comes to mind during these times. Ask God to show you new alternatives for the future. Adam Feldman takes “Soul Breaks”. He writes about some things he likes to “do” while on soul.break:

• Bring my journals. I flip through the pages since my last soul.break and record what I discover to be the 3-5 major themes emerging in my life. I then write down the lesson I learned (or am learning) and how I will respond. 
• Bring my Bible. I generally read through one book of the Bible during my time away. 
• Walk. I take long walks through the woods. Try not to think about much–just decompress from life. 
• Bring half-a-dozen books. I usually bring around 6 books with me and feel which book I need to be reading.

Daily Silence and Solitude. “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds … Satan is quite aware of the problem of chaos” (Jim Elliot)

Develop Special Places that become a refuge for you when seeking solitude and silence.

REASONS FOR SILENCE AND SOLITUDE (Whitney)

Follow Jesus’ Example. Jesus inaugurated his ministry by spending forty days alone in the desert (MT 4:1- 11). Before he chose the twelve he spent the entire night alone in the desert hills (Luke 6:12). After John the Baptist’s death, hew “withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart” (Matthew 14:13). After feeding the five thousand Jesus “went up into the hills by himself…” (MT 14:23). In other times of his life, Jesus spent time alone (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:31; Luke 4:42; Luke 5:16; Matthew 17:1-9; Matthew 26:36-46).

To Hear the Voice of God Better.  As we contemplate Scripture and inquire of God, busyness and noise tend to drown out any insight we may receive.

To Express Worship To God. The worship of God does not always require words, sounds, or actions. Sometimes worship consists of a God-focused stillness and hush. Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be ailent before him.” 

To Express Faith in God. The simple act of silence before the Lord, as opposed to coming to Him in a wordy fret, can be a demonstration of faith in Him. Psalm 62:1,2 “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

To Seek the Salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-28 “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.” In what circumstances do you seek God’s deliverance?

To Be Physically and Spiritually restored. We all need to restore the resources of the inward and outward person. Mark 6:31 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

To Regain A Spiritual Perspective. There’s no better way to step back and get a more balanced, less worldly perspective on matters than through the Disciplines of silence and solitude.

To Seek the Will of God. “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12)

To Learn Control of the Tongue. The Bible says that the religion of the person with no tongue control is worthless. James 1:19 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” ”It is a good discipline to wonder in each new situation if people wouldn’t be better served by our silence than by our words.” -Henri J. M. Nouwen, “The Way of the Heart”

FRUIT OF SILENCE AND SOLITUDE  (Calhoun, p. 107, 111)

Being attentive to the voice of Jesus.

Having freedom from negative habits of speech (deception, gossip, impulsive chatter, small talk, impression management, the need to express your opinion or critique.)

Freedom from addictions to noise or sound (radio, TV, phone, iPod, etc.); the need to be occupied and stimulated.

Receiving quiet from the chaos and noise in your life. “Best of any song is bird song in the quiet, but first you must have the quiet.” Wendell Berry

Having deeper intimacy with God.

Growing in self-awareness as the silence invites the subconscious to move into deeper levels of knowing.

Developing increased listening skills.

Moving away from letting the world squeeze you into its mold (Romans 12:2).

EXERCISE

If silence is new to you, begin with ten minutes. Setting a timer can help a novice who keeps watching  the clock. As you become quiet what do you hear: voices, traffic, your breath, wind, your heart,  distracting thoughts? Let the noise go. Continue to let the quiet deepen. Be with God. After ten minutes reflect on what it was like for you to simply become still enough to hear the backgrounds.

Additional Online Resources:

Watersedge

Adam Feldman