The Discipline of Submission

Anyone who knows me well will probably laugh if they see that I am writing on the topic of the discipline of submission. I am not exactly known for how well I submit to others. However, the purpose of writing is not necessarily to tell others how to live, rather, to explain the discipline and, in turn, reminding myself of how I should be living.

I would like to focus on what Foster calls the seven acts of submission:

1. Submission to the Triune God.
   We surrender our body, mind, and spirit into the hands of God to do with us what he pleases.
2. Submission to the Scripture.
   We yield ourselves first to hear the Word, second to receive the Word, and thrid to obey the Word.
3. Submission to our family.
   The primary deed of submission is a commitment to listen to the other family members.
4. Submission to our neighbors and those we meet in the course of our daily lives.
   No task is too small, too trifling, for each one is an opportunity to live in submission.
5. Submission to the believing community, the body of Christ.
   Most frequently, acts of submission are spontaneous opportunities for little tasks of service.
6. Submission to the broken and despised
   Our first responsibility is to be among the “widows and orphans”.
7. Submission to the world.
   Our act of submission is a determination to live as a responsible member of an increasingly irresponsible world

Please Note: I would strongly encourage you to read Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline to get the full message of these disciplines.