“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephes. 5:21)
“Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.” (Philip. 2:3)
Submission, like many of the spiritual disciplines is counter-cultural, and for those that wish to embrace a life of submission it will require the discipline of hard work. The temptation to give up hard work is always strongest where there is little or no motivation. It is for this reason that we must begin by discussing where that motivation for submission might be found.
Paul encourages us to allow Christ to serve as our singular motivation for submission (Eph. 5:21). It is the example of Christ then, that should guide us into a study of submission. If we could choose only one word to describe the life of Christ the word obedient may serve us well. Christ arrived here on earth, lived, and surrendered his life in humble obedience (Phil. 2:8). Foster labels this obedient lifestyle a “cross-life” and describes this lifestyle as “the life of freely accepted servanthood.”[i]
SUBMISSION
With a clear understanding of Jesus example, we can, in worship of Christ, begin the hard work of living the cross-life of obedient submission.
Three Works
There are three works in which we must engage with our lives if we are to follow Christ’s example of obedience.
The first work of submission is the work of receiving. At first this may sound backwards but we must take note that submission assumes that we have a position or a place from which to step down, yet there are many today, as in the time of Paul’s writing, living without cultural-respect. Paul’s instructions ascribe responsibility to those without status in his society.[ii] Jesus did the same by speaking with women, touching lepers, paying attention to beggars, and spending time children. Additionally there are many who are struggling through life without adequate God-ordained self-respect. Both the dilemma of cultural-respect and of self-respect are not without a multitude of causes today, but with those reasons aside our first task in submission is to receive the honor that is due us as God’s treasured creation. Until we receive from God a healthy and proper self-image we will be unable to fully engage in the discipline of submission.
The second work of submission is the work of releasing. Once we have fully grasped a healthy self-image we can begin the hard work of releasing the entitlement that comes along with our new found position and power.
That entitlement can be released through what Foster calls, the touchstone of self-denial.[iii] Self-denial finds its biblical roots in Mark 8:34 where Jesus says, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.” Here we see that the “cross-life” is a life of releasing our selfish motivations and desires in worship of the selfless life that Jesus lived.
Three Enemies of Self-denial
The work of self-denial has three common enemies. Its first enemy is self-actualization. Our culture thrives on the concept that we can make something of ourselves, and in the process we must call on all of our power and position to produce our actualized-self. Instead of falling prey to this temptation and creating for ourselves a new and even more powerful identity, we are to find our identity in Christ. As we follow His example in the “cross-life” we can elude the enemy of self-actualization.
A second enemy of self –denial is self-contempt. Foster clarifies the difference by saying, “Self-contempt denies the goodness of the creation; self-denial affirms that it is indeed good.”[iv] Jesus himself, in a manner of speaking, lists self-love among the greatest commandments. So, clearly what is intended by self-denial is not self-hatred, self-abasement, or self-pity, but rather a healthy release of our less-than-divine ambitions.
A third enemy of self-denial is self-indulgence. Self-indulgence is the opposite of the disciplines of simplicity and hospitality. In fact, self-indulgence is the opposite of discipline in general. It is the unrestrained collection and consumption of all our selfish desires, and as such, stands as the greatest enemy to the second work in submission, the work of releasing entitlement.
The third work in submission is the work of embracing. Foster says, “The cross-life is the life of freely accepted servanthood.”[v] We must, as we submit ourselves to Christ’s example, embrace a life of servanthood to the suffering. Jesus embraced the hurting and was not deaf to the cries of the needy. Mark 5:21-43 records a perfect example of His unrelenting compassion in this regard. In this story, a man named Jairus whose daughter is sick approaches Jesus. On the way to serve Jairus (and his daughter), Jesus is approached by a woman who is in need of healing. The story that seems to start as a fast-paced race to heal the Jairus’ daughter goes into slow-motion when this needy woman enters the scene. Jesus slows to a standstill and engages the woman in dialogue. There is much we could learn from Jesus’ example here. Often we have a good work in mind and we approach it full-steam and head down. Jesus reveals another approach. He presents the submissive embrace of the suffering with eyes open and heart attentive to the other needs that may be present among the crowd. Oh, that we could learn this art.
If we are to embrace the servanthood of the suffering, we also must embrace Christ’s example of servanthood through suffering. We cannot forget that the image of Christ bearing the cross is only moments before He was hung on it. Paul reminds us of the submission demonstrated by Christ when, “in human form he [Jesus] obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.” (Philip. 2:8). The “cross-life” leads to a “cross-death”. Embracing submission requires not only serving the suffering but also becoming “the suffering” for the sake of others.
Being Shaped by Freedom
When we engage in the work of receiving, releasing, and embracing submission we begin to be shaped by a freedom to conform more closely to the image of Christ. Adele Calhoun notes three specific ways in which this freedom shapes us. We are shaped in our choices, our relationships, and our vocations.[vi]
First, our choices are shaped to reflect God’s desires not our own. Submission is about choosing to follow God’s desires and design. When we sin we do not submit to the sin, we commit the sin. Commission means to carry into action deliberately. Submission means to yield to governance or authority.[vii] When we commit sin we take action when we are supposed to be yielding control. Yielding control in submission brings us freedom, taking control through commission puts us in bondage.
Second, the freedom of submission allows our relationships to be shaped to reflect God’s compassion. As we let go of our own selfish ambitions and allow ourselves to be cared for by God, we become free to slow our pace enough to care for the needs of others. Silence becomes our companion in submission as we give up the need to react to those who disagree with us. Without a need to find our identity in what others think of us, we are free to serve (or associate with) anyone, regardless of their cultural-respect. We are free from the need to have our own way in our dealings with others and we are even free to give up our rights in relationships. This freedom sets us up for the discipline of service
Third, our vocation is shaped to reflect God’s will. Submitting ourselves to Christ’s leadership in vocation places us in a posture where we are willing to respond to the nudges of the spirit. An attitude of submission opens us up to receive the immeasurable gifts of God available to us as we engage in His service.
SERVICE
The discipline of submission kisses the discipline of service in the moments where we are given the opportunity to give way to others in our work. In considering the discipline of service, we often think solely of the literal act of serving others in our physical work. Marjorie Thompson redefines the discipline of service as “hospitality” and views service through the lens of Christ’s words in Matthew 25:35-36 (NLT).[viii] “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'” In response to Jesus’ words the people reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?” Matthew 25:37-39 (NLT). This passage offers us a starting point for understanding the depth and width of the discipline of service or hospitality.
Six Works of Hospitable Service
The first work of hospitable service is seeing. Though the individuals in the story of Matthew 25 did not see, they would have had great advantage if they had been consciously seeing Christ in the “least”. Certainly those who were cursed into eternal fire would have benefited from an improved ability to see.[ix] Calhoun points out that seeing Christ in the least involves viewing their needs as being as real and important as our own, and she goes on to indict readers by saying, “…many of us look right through others and never see them, let alone care about what they need.”[x] This myopia could find its cure in the discipline of submission. Again Calhoun offers a powerful retort. “When we are preoccupied with our own concerns, much of the world is simply invisible to us. Service is rooted in seeing – in seeing others as God does.”[xi]
A second work of hospitable service is welcoming. The work of welcoming may seem obvious but it is often an area of struggle for ministries. In the 2002 article “The Secrets of Welcoming Youth Groups”, Group Magazine reported that 73% of students cited a welcoming atmosphere where they can be themselves as the most important factor in influencing their commitment to the group, and even went as far as saying, “If they don’t feel accepted and loved by their peers, they’re not coming back.”[xii] Creating church atmospheres where people are welcomed must remain a priority among our work of service. Often times it is the “service of the small things” that communicates the caring needed for individuals to feel welcomed into the community.[xiii]
The third work of hospitable service is feeling. Christ centered service is the service of bearing one another’s burdens. Paul encourages us in this regard, “Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NLT). This process of bearing each other’s burdens requires empathy embedded in love. Foster points out, “Love is most perfectly fulfilled when we bear the hurts and sufferings of each other, weeping with those who weep.”[xiv]
The fourth work of hospitable service is hearing. The work of hearing is offered to others in the gift of presence. First, our presence must be offered to God. Thompson says, “We offer hospitality to God when we make ourselves consciously present to the Divine Presence and listen for what the Spirit is communicating.”[xv] When we marinate in the Divine Presence with a listening heart we invite God to speak to us and fill us with His presence that we may offer the fruits or our submission in service to others. “When we have grown dull in listening to God, we would do well to listen to others in silence and see if we do not hear God through them.”[xvi]
The fifth work of hospitable service is sharing. Dallas Willard points out that “The Way of Jesus knows no submission outside the context of mutual submission of all to all.”[xvii] If submission and service are siblings, then we can see that clearly in the work of sharing. Marjorie Thompson clarifies this familial relationship when she makes the important connection between the servant and the served. “The relationship of host and guest is a mutual one; ‘the very root of the word ‘hospitality’… hospes means both host and guest.’”[xviii] Submission and service are both communal disciplines. The work of service requires our willingness to share “who we are as well as what we have” with those whom we serve and those who serve us.[xix] We must live with open doors and open hands, sharing all that we have with those whom God brings our way.
The sixth work of hospitable service is praying. “When we intercede for others in prayer, we welcome them into our inmost sanctuary of compassion. We participate in the spacious hospitality of God’s grace for each person.”[xx] Our work of service in prayer must include not only the obvious needs of those we hold dear but also those of our enemies, our pastors, and our communities.
The Result: Love Revealed
“The Christian discipline of service is the way the world discovers the love of God.”[xxi] When we humbly engage in these works of service and hospitality we participate in the “centripetal mission” or “evangelization by hospitality”.[xxii] Our works allow the greater community a glimpse of Christ in the world.
The Greatest Example: God’s Hospitality[xxiii]
God has, in His revelation, given us a comprehensive example of how the works of submission and service work in the world, from creation to the cross. In creation, God provided for us all that we would ever need. He anticipated Adam’s needs and filled them before Adam had the opportunity or necessity to make requests. God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone (Gen. 2:18). Here we see emphasized the role of seeing in hospitality. Through procreation, we are given an opportunity to participate in what God began. I remember when my wife and I learned that she was pregnant with our first son. We emptied out our spare bedroom and got right to work removing and replacing carpet, painting, decorating, and filling the room with a ridiculous amount of toys and accessories to accommodate our new addition. In this way, we identified with the hospitality of God when he created the world.
A second way in which we see God demonstrating the example of hospitality is in the incarnation. Christ enters the scene bringing the very things we needed and could not provide for ourselves: forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. God invited us into this hospitality of the incarnation when he gave us His spirit. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 (NLT). With the spirit of God in us we carry on the hospitality of the incarnation to the rest of the world.
Finally, we see the hospitality of God given ultimate expression in the crucifixion. God paid the greatest price to purchase us from death. Paul writes, “God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.” 1 Cor. 1:30 (NLT). We gained freedom through His sacrifice and God invites us to participate in the hospitality of the crucifixion through self-denial. In self-denial we have the choice to release our rights and embrace humility for the sake of others. Ironically that sacrifice produces in us a great freedom.
Lord Jesus Christ,As You will; what You will; when You will.
I yield my body, my mind, and my spirit for Your purposes.
As it would please you, bring me someone today whom I can serve.
Let it be so.[xxiv]
[i] Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. 1978. 25th
Anniversary ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1998. 115-116.
[ii] Foster, 118.
[iii] Foster, 113.
[iv] Foster, 114.
[v] Foster, 116.
[vi] Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. Downers Grove: Inter Varsity, 2005. 119.
[vii] www.m-w.com
[viii] Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 2005. 127
[ix] Matthew 25:41
[x] Calhoun, 145.
[xi] Calhoun, 145.
[xii] Miller, Steve. "The Secrets of Welcoming Youth Groups." Group Magazine Feb.-Mar. 2002: 61-65.
[xiii] Foster, 135.
[xiv] Foster, 139.
[xv] Thompson, 132.
[xvi] Foster, 139.
[xvii] Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of The Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. New York: Harper Collins, 1988. 160.
[xviii] Thompson, 128.
[xix] Thompson, 128.
[xx] Thompson, 140.
[xxi] Calhoun, 145.
[xxii] Thompson, 127.
[xxiii] Thompson, 129-131.
[xxiv] Foster, 122.
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