{"id":80,"date":"2020-05-04T12:18:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T11:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/?p=80"},"modified":"2025-12-01T12:19:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:19:58","slug":"celebration-of-discipline-week-7-submission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/celebration-of-discipline-week-7-submission","title":{"rendered":"Celebration of Discipline Week 7: Submission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The reason for practicing the Disciplines is freedom. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s probably not how you expected a blog on submission to start, but it\u2019s important that we understand the reason behind the Disciplines \u2013 especially when we come to one that, on the outside, can look like it brings the opposite. The reason behind ALL of the Disciplines is freedom to know God and to be known by him more fully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sad truth is that, for many of us, submission is something that we often associate with manipulation, misuse of authority and oppression. It can almost be a bit of a dirty word in our modern world. Speaking as a woman, the word can conjure up pictures of women being expected to be seen and not heard, always obedient and never difficult. The scriptures have been misused time and time again to convey this message of oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when we come to scripture and look at the context in which it was written, the reality is that instead of being restrictive and oppressive, it is in fact honouring and freeing to the groups of people it addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Foster gives the examples in Colossians 2:18-22: \u2018Wives, be subject to your husbands\u2026 Children, obey your parents\u2026 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revolutionary things the Richard Fosters points out is that these groups are addressed as people who are free to make their own decision. People who are free to decide who they do or do not obey or who they submit to. When in fact, in first-century culture, these were all groups who were second-class citizens and therefore who were without a right to decide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What had happened was that they had realised that they were free from status in society because the gospel itself had challenged this way of life. They knew they were no longer bound by societal definitions and norms. Yet, out of this place of newfound freedom they were called to submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The call to submission is for no other reason than that Jesus himself modelled submission. We see Jesus submit to the will of his Father most notably in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he makes it clear that his will and the Father\u2019s will are at odds, but that he is willing to submit. Jesus\u2019 submission to his Father is our model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are limits of course, and the Bible also makes this clear. For example, if someone in authority to you asked you to join in with something that would harm others, I\u2019m sure you would find it easy to make the decision that it\u2019s not a moment to submit. When it comes to any decision of submission, we must always measure it by what we read in Acts 5:29: \u2018We must obey God rather than men.\u2019 If submission ever calls us to a place which is not honouring God, loving our neighbour as ourselves or causing harm we know that this is outside of what God would have us do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the area of submission we have to be acutely aware that we have a guide and mentor who is ever present with us and who guides us. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate helper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, there is a question to be asked \u2013 what does this really look like? Richard Foster outlines seven areas in which we are called to submit. Why not pick one this week to engage with? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission to God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not take a moment every morning this week to echo the prayer of Thomas \u00e0 Kempis: \u2018As thou wilt; what thou wilt; when they wilt.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission to the Scripture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you spend time reading the Bible this week, ask the Holy Spirit to highlight where you can submit more fully to understanding and applying the word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission to our Family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this time of lockdown this can sometimes feel like the last thing we want to do, but how can we choose this week to let someone else have their way? It might just look like listening rather than retaliating when harsh words are said, or it could even just be letting them order a pizza when you really wanted Chinese! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission to Neighbours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This looks like simple acts of kindness \u2013 asking if they need anything from the shops the next time you go or offering your tools when they are in need. Richard Foster says, \u2018No task is too small, too trifling, for each one is an opportunity to live in submission.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Submission to the Believing Community <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us might find that the way we serve in church in normal circumstances has changed dramatically. How can you offer yourself to the church community to serve and submit in the way they need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Submission to the Broken<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every culture has \u2018the widows and orphans\u2019. Who are the people we know who might be having a hard time coping? Pray and ask God who these people are and what you can do to serve them this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Submission to the World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Richard Foster wrote this in 1980 he wrote about the need to take environmental responsibility for the way that we live. Sadly, many of us are only realising now just how important that really is. How can we submit this week to be a responsible member of our planet? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Foster recommends these daily scripture readings as we explore solitude this week:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday:<\/strong> The call to submission \u2013 Mark 8:34, John 12:24\u201326<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday:<\/strong> The example of Christ \u2013 Philippians 2:1\u201311<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday:<\/strong> The example of Abraham \u2013 Genesis 22:1\u201319<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thursday:<\/strong> The example of Paul \u2013 Galatians 2:19\u201321<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friday:<\/strong> Submission in the marketplace \u2013 Matthew 5:38\u201348<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday:<\/strong> Submission in the family \u2013 Ephesians 5:21\u20136:9, 1 Peter 3:1\u20139<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday:<\/strong> Submission with reference to the State \u2013 Romans 13:1\u201310, Acts 4:13\u201320, 5:27\u201329, 16:35\u201339<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read about the discipline of Submission, from our series unpacking the Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":81,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80\/revisions\/82"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirteencreative.co.uk\/onelife25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}