Practicing Submission

Every discipline has a corresponding freedom.

What freedom can possibly corrospond to submission?

Laying down the terrible burden or always having to get our way. It releases us to drop a matter and to forget it. Frankly most things in life are not nearly as important as we think they are.

Only the discipline of submission can free us suffieciently to enable us to distiguish between the genuine issues and stubborn self-will. (see Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster).

The need to always get our way is from the Enemy. Identify the enemy thought: “It is not what I want.” Once we identify the enemy we can choose a an attitude of submission.


Submission focuses on how we really view other people…freedom to really value other people.

We can give up the demand that other return our love for them.
We can rejoice, really, in their success.
Feel genuine sorrow for their failures.
And love our enemies.

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44

Surrender the right to retaliate.

“If any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39

Luke 9:23/Mark 8:34 self denial without self-hatred…It is simply this: my happiness is no longer dependent on getting my way/what I want.

Some acts of practicing the discipline of submission:
• Meet with God first before caring for your self and your plans
• Submit to Scripture, read it to hear and learn from God
• Listen to your family and their needs. How can I pray for and meet your needs today?
• Meet real needs of our neighbors: cut their grass, offer to babysit, visit them, share our tools, open our hearts to them.
• Submit to the church. We cannot do everything, but we can do some things. With a glad heart respond to ways to be a help.
• Submit to the broken hearted…look for the voiceless and find out how to benefit them.
• Submit to the world…be responsible for your stewardship, conserve, share, stay connected (refuse to isolate)