Spiritual Disciplines for the Soul: Submission
William Gaultiere, Ph.D. © 2005
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Jesus’ life is that as the Sovereign Lord he lived by the discipline of submission, which is quietly choosing to let another be in control. Jesus is co-equal with the Father and the Spirit in the Trinity and yet he chose to live his life on earth in submission to God. Frank Laubach noted that the Apostle John indicates in his gospel that Jesus was acting “under God’s orders” 47 times! John records Jesus saying things like: “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me… Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say (John 6:38, 12:50b; both NIV).
Jesus is the Word who spoke the Scriptures into existence and yet he lived in submission to those very Scriptures. Again and again we read in the gospels that Jesus said and did certain things “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” He discovered his identity, lived out his life story, and made his every decision according to the Scriptures.
The King of kings and Lord of lords even lived in submission to the very people he created! Jesus confined himself to human flesh, was born in a stable and laid in an animal feeding trough, obeyed his parents, completed carpentry jobs for customers, submitted to John’s baptism, paid taxes, performed menial servant duties, relied on his disciples for support, surrendered to soldiers, subjected himself to illegal trials, yielded to Pilate’s verdict, capitulated to the cross, and handed over his mission to his disciples.
By living in submission to God, the Scriptures, and other people Jesus shows us that humility leads to true power, love for others is the path to true freedom. Richard Foster says that submission is “the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way… If we could only see that most things in life are not major issues, then we could hold them lightly… In submission we are at last free to value other people” (Celebration of
Discipline, p. 97-98).
Thomas A. Kempis (1400-1471) was a German Augustinian monk who was exemplary in living out a vow of obedience (to Abbot, community rule, and one another) as unto Christ. In his classic devotional, The Imitation of
Christ, he shares Christ’s words to him and to us on practicing the discipline of submission:
"And yet, what great matter is it, if you, who are but dust and nothing, subject yourself to man for God’s sake, when I, the Almighty and the Most High, who created all things of nothing, humbly subjected Myself to man for your sake? I became of all men the most humble and most abject (Luke 2:7, John 13:14), that you might overcome your pride with My humility. O dust, learn to be obedient! Learn to humble yourself, you of earth and clay, and to bow yourself down under the feet of all men. Learn to break your own wishes, and to yield yourself to all subjection" (p. 122).
May God help us to live in moment-by-moment obedience to his Spirit and his Word and to, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).
