The idea of submission has been abused and twisted to connote demeaning servitude. A Biblical perspective allows submission to God to be a means of liberation and freedom. Foster writes, "It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obssesion to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today." God is in control anyway. A headstrong will only deprives us of the joy of aligning our will with God's. "In submission we are at last free to value other people," Foster writes. "Their dreams and plans become important to us...We discover that it is far better to serve our neighbor than to have our own way."

Foster notes 7 major areas of submission: to God, to Scripture, to our family, our neighbors, to the Church, to the broken and despised, and to the world as an environment. This week, I practiced submission by trying to be aware of my motives in all of these areas. The foundation of practicing submission lies in self-denial.Was I seeking to serve my self, or was I putting others first? Was I submitting to others in the use of my time, words, and thoughts? I began each morning with a simple prayer of submission to God.

This week I found many times when I had moments where the choice needed to be made to honor God with my thoughts or actions, or else I would just "do my own thing." When the choice was not conscious, I would often choose to think my own thoughts, not God's. I realized that I need to be more sensitive to the Spirit.

As I tried to practice submission to others, I found joy as I quieted myself just a little more in converation, trying to hear others' needs and thoughts. It was freeing to make the point of each conversation (at least that was my intention) to be the joy of others, not to promote my thoughts. Yes, I did not keep this focus in every conversation. But it was a refreshing thought, taking off the stress of trying to make sure every conversation went the way I wanted it to.

A lot of thoughts buzzed around in my head this week. What am I supposed to be doing in life?  Which people should I be serving, and where should I spend my time? What character flaws do I need to address? I've become more aware of the ways that I'm not reaching my full potential as a child of the King. Wouldn't submitting to God mean pruning away those areas in my life that are not in accordance with His life? Actually, no. If I try to fix myself, I'm focusing on just that- myself. To submit to God would be to look at His life, not mine and to let Him lead me wherever He sees fit. By submitting to Him, my life will reach its fullest and richest potential.

At one point, I felt overwhelmed by all the changing my heart needs! I wearied, just at the thought of how I'm never going to be perfect in this life and how much killing of self is ahead. Then I remembered a verse from the chapter I've been memorizing, Isaiah 40:28: "Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard? that the everlasting Lord, the Creator of the ends of the world, does not weary, fainteth not, neither is weary." God is not just faithful, but His faithfulness never tires either. Fixing ourselves in our own strength does not glorify God, and it only exhausts us. In submission we find rest. Complete dependence means denying self, and brings God the glory He deserves. God becomes our strength, not ourselves. This is the heart of submission.

"Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

~Francis Havergal

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