My group of dear friends discussed the Submission chapter from Richard Foster's Celebration of Disciplines book last night. Here are some of my thoughts.
The word submission used to make the hairs on the back of my feminist neck prickle and raise. Mostly because of the abuse of power I'd seen and experienced in the hard knocks of life. While I'm still a feminist, now I have a different perspective on the word. My life is my own as far as God sees fit to give me another day, another breath, and I have the power to choose where I go, whom I spend time with, who comes to my home. I also freely choose to whom I submit and, believe it or not, do so mostly willingly. To me submission is laying my will down for another, and I just so happen to have lots of will. The key to why submission doesn't pain me anymore is in the fact that those I put myself under desire good things for me; they are looking out for my best interest. On the rare occasion I find out otherwise, that someone does not care for my well being, I don't take what that person's counsel seriously any longer. It's not that I won't do what the person in this situation wants, I most likely will, but they've lost my heart.
Maybe not forever though.
Here's a story of submission I'm particularly wowed by lately. Buck has been in a situation where one leader keeps saying and doing all the wrong things...To Buck. My husband, however, has not given in and walked away from the relationship. Fortunately, Buck didn't take my poor advice to voice his outrage. Instead, he's bowed his knee in service to the person. Suddenly Buck is taking part in creating the person he wants his leader to be. It's simply transforming.
Thinking on this matter makes me aware of my leadership roles. Do I treat those I lead under me with respect? Am I looking out to accomplish my goal or for others best interests? When I set out to teach, do is it the person or the lesson I care most about? Do I make submission easy for those under me?
Furthermore, I believe God is good, so I have no trouble in submitting when I know God's will. The trouble for me is taking the time to center and seek God's will.
Is this the same for you?
What do you think about the word submission?
I'm in leadership over my children. Do I lead well? Or am I a tyrant with my agenda that they must follow? I've a quote by my computer I've been contemplating lately- Parenting without joy is tyranny.
I'm looking for the joy.
How about you?
4 comments:
Boy, this raises good questions. I said to a church supervisor not long ago, "You have just as much power as those under you are willing to give."
When you ended with thoughts about your children it occurred to me that my quote might apply to the parent/child relationship,also.
And that raises all kinds of questions of submitting.
Thanks for getting the brain cells in motion.
You bet Questing.
I have no trouble with others submitting themselves to me. Hehe.
Actually, submission is a difficult thing - perhaps the most difficult of all virtues. And yet, there is in it, a restfulness, a recognition of protection and peace. There is in it a perfection of being since we were created for submission.
The difficulty is in submitting ourselves to those whom we think are unworthy of our submission.
Dear Scott,
All true as usual.
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