I Must Submit

     The past month or so I have been seriously wrestling with submitting myself to others and most importantly to God. I always had trouble with what submitting myself really meant, especially when applied to my relationship with God. I never knew what to do or what not to do, or even what to think or what not to think. It's tough.
     However, I've been reading the book "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. This book goes through all the said "Spiritual Disciplines". Such as prayer, fasting, meditation, worship, confession, solitude, service, and others. And yes, there is a chapter on submission. Out of all of these talked about, submission is probably the one I struggle with the most. I believe that it is because it is the only one that really doesn't sound appealing to me right off the bat (which is the problem to begin with). Prayer can lead to hearing God's word for you and for others and can lead to fulfillment as can meditation. Meditation also lets you clear out emotions and let God come and appease those and enlighten you on why those emotions occur. Fasting leads to a closer walk to throughout your day and a realization of your dependance on Him. Submission...? I mean, makes you feel good about yourself? How?
     The interesting thing is that I now believe submission is necessary in order to achieve the freedom received from all the disciplines. My biggest problem with submission is that I always thought it was something you did. An action. Now I realize that it is not an action, that is only a possible result of real submission.
    So then it isn't action, and I'm not sure what I can gain from it. Really confusing..I didn't even know where to begin. Well Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline puts it like this: "...every Discipline has its corresponding freedom. What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way." And later he adds, "In the Discipline of submission we are released to drop the matter, to forget it. Frankly, most things in life are not nearly as important as we think they are." After reading all this, a lightbulb went off. God revealed to me the purpose of submission. So now I'm interested..but what is it?
     Well, submission is not something I do. It's not something I say. It's not even necessarily a way of living. It's the way you view yourself in relation to other people and to God. When you are able to, as Paul says in Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves", a huge burden is lifted off your shoulders! You don't have to get your own way! You don't have to constantly be justifying yourself! You can actually listen to other people. You can rejoice in their joys, and share in their sorrows. Now this is where it can get a little tricky. The question may arise...well I don't want to take on everyone else's burdens. This is why submitting ourselves to God is the most important thing and must come first. We know that and believe firmly that God's way is the best way for us. That whatever he has for us will end up working for our good even though it seems the exact opposite. Also God's way becomes the most important. In all this 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 can become a truth in our lives! It says "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." How awesome! I want to be able to be joyful always! I want to praise God always! Even when the world seems to be coming down on me, I know that Jesus really did take the weight of the world, and that He's got a plan, and it's more important and better than my plan so I'm going to trust him and give thanks.
     Now I don't believe that submission is an overnight or easy thing. I think it takes lots of patience and effort. Time in prayer and meditation. But work at it. Begin to see God as truly having the best plan and submit to him. Begin to see other people as more important than you. This is something I will forever be working on and trying to get better at it. Praise God for all that He has revealed to the world. Now, I must submit.