Out of Moab
This is the latest post in my Celebration of Discipline series. Click here to check out the other articles in the series.
Foster’s work has been foundational to my journey – we can only get a taste of it here, but it’s very worth checking it out if you haven’t read it!
I’ll be tackling submission and service together this week since they are closely related.
Submission is self-denial; giving up the right to have everything go as you want it to. We are able to be happy without getting our own way.
Biblically, submission isn’t about hierarchical relationships but an inner attitude of mutual subordination. The famous (or infamous) submission passage in Ephesians 5 is supposed to start with vs. 21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”- not vs. 22, as many people and Bible translations are apt to do. The call to submission is universal, not just for certain genders or marriage roles!
Jesus was the servant of all while on earth. As he modeled servanthood and submission, we are supposed to live it - because Jesus did, not because of who we are or what power or position we have.
But like the other disciplines, the focus is primarily on inward submission, not necessarily on external actions because it is possible to submit in action but still be rebelling inwardly.
However there is an important caveat: the call to submission is not absolute. Where submission becomes destructive, we need to resist. There can be some gray areas, and we must rely on the Holy Spirit and the counsel of others to discern.
What are some of the ways we are called to submit?
Submit to Scripture, our family, neighbors, the Body of Christ, the broken and despised, and to the world. Ultimately our submission to these reflects our submission to God, that we are entrusting ourselves completely to Him without grasping at control of our lives and circumstances.
Service: Responding to divine promptings, not expecting or seeking attention for it, and not focused on results.
Service is a lifestyle, not just isolated acts. In choosing to be a servant, you give up the right to be in charge.
To practice service as a discipline with the right motivation isn’t always easy. What does true service look like?
· It flows from our relationship with God and is moved by the Spirit’s leading.
· It welcomes all opportunities to serve, whether large or small (and may even prefer the small).
· It doesn’t seek attention and is contented in hiddenness.
· Delights in service regardless of the results.
· Servant of all (doesn’t pick and choose).
· Isn’t compelled to serve, can listen and wait to discern the appropriate approach to the need to ensure that the service is genuinely helpful.
Types of Service
· Guarding the reputation of others (and not listening to gossip)
· Being served. It is an act of submission and service to let others serve you. It is a position of power to be the one always giving.
· Common courtesy – small cultural rituals that affirm a person’s worth and dignity.
· Hospitality – opening homes to each other (but it doesn’t have to be complicated, and it’s not about tea and cookies or dinner parties – it’s a posture of welcome, inviting others into your space to connect)
· Listening – without feeling the need to provide answers.
· Bearing each others’ burdens – learning how to do so without being destroyed by them
My Experience with Service
I’ve never considered this to be one of my stronger disciplines. Though in the types of service I listed above, the one aspect I am best at is listening. For years I wanted to be a counselor, and even if I never pursued it professionally, I still have that inclination. So moving forward, I can focus on being even more intentional about being a listener to those around me.
In response to my service exercise worksheet, I chose to bake treats for our monthy staff meeting. I know it wasn’t a particularly huge act of service, especially since I love to bake – but I’ve been feeling under the weather, so it took more out of me than normal to do it. And truthfully, I might not have done it at all, were it not for the accountability of keeping up with practicing each discipline for my blog!
Questions for Reflection:
Do you find it harder to serve or to be served? Why do you think that is?
What have you experienced and learned while practicing service?
Comment below or contact me – I’d love to connect with you!
Next week we will be focusing on the disciplines of Confession and Guidance – subscribe, and I will send you the worksheet so you can journey with me this week!
Hey, I'm Deanna!
I'll start with the typical introductory details - I live in Wisconsin and work as an Administrative Assistant for a non-profit organization - but those are the least interesting things about me!
I love reading (theology, spiritual formation, biographies), baking and cooking, hiking and exploring the the beauty God has created - in all 4 seasons! All of these things bring me life, and they are all things I will be writing about here - so if any of that is interesting to you, subscribe and stick around for a while!
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