Day 132: What Are Some Supporting Exercises for Service?
Today, we discuss three supporting habits or exercises that can support our Service. These are Submission, Secrecy, and Fasting.
What Is Submission?
Ephesians 5:18-21
And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but allow yourselves to be overflowing in the Spirit, by 19 1) speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, 2) singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, 20 3) always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 4) and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ…
Before any service can actually take place, there has to be submission. Very simply stated, submission is the act of accepting and yielding to the desire and will of someone else; it is acting for the sake of another. This, of course, is built upon the attitude of humility.
In John 6:38, Jesus says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus the Son submitted to the will and desires of His Father. His submission becomes the model for us all. If the One who created us can submit, then so can we. If our master was characterized by humility, so can we be.
In the Ephesians passage above, we see that one of the ways that we exhibit the overflowing presence of the Spirit is by “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The Spirit has been given to us to shape Christ in us. As He does this, we become submissive just as Jesus was. We must always remember that service is the Way of the Kingdom; the greatest is the Servant of all (see Mark 9:35).
The Body of Christ, the Church, should be a place where we are all mutually submitting to one another as we all submit to Christ our Lord. When we each focus on one another rather than on ourselves, our needs are met and the Body grows itself in love.
When we are not enslaved to having our way, putting ourselves first, we become truly free. Humility and submission open the doors to grace and love.
In the New Testament letters, there are several “one another” passages, instructing us in what we should do for one another. Take a minute to look a few of these up and read them: Romans 12:10, 15:5-7; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:32
What Is Secrecy?
Matthew 6:2-6
Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. 3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, … 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you…
18 When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Very little needs to be said about this passage. We can simply take it at face value. Secrecy is one of the virtues of the Kingdom. Now, there is a negative and toxic form of secrecy in which we try to “hide” from one another—especially in terms of our failures and sins. In the Body of Christ, we speak openly about our failures and hide our good works. In this way, the focus is kept continually on the Lord God who is working in and through us for the sake of His good pleasure.
By serving in secrecy, we also avoid the temptation to pride. When we begin to seek the praise of people rather than the praise of The Lord, we are on the fast path to spiritual ruin. By serving with the realization that The Lord is our only “audience” we are entrusting our lives into His care; He will see, He will notice and that is all that really matters.
What is Fasting?
Jesus fasted. The early church fasted. Many followers of Christ throughout the centuries have practiced fasting. Fasting is simply deciding to abstain from eating for a period of time in order to focus on your relationship with Father God in Christ through the Spirit. When we fast, we experience the reality that our lives originate and are rooted in the spiritual, not the physical. When we fast, we are following the principle that our Master Jesus stated Himself: “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).
Fasting has been used in the life of Father God’s people to remove physical distractions, to bring the body into submission to the spirit, and to help focus the heart and mind on the reality of God’s work within us. Food is important for our health and well being, but it is not more important than submitting ourselves to Father God in all things. Consider what Jesus says about this:
John 4:31-34
…the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.”
Jesus considered that doing the will of God and completing His mission and work were as “soul-sustaining” as food is “life-sustaining.” When we fast, we abstain from things that are normally necessary for life. We are training our minds to realize that God’s desire and purpose is even more important than these necessary things.
One other passage may be significant in this context:
Acts 13:1-3
Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch… 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off.
Notice that the church at Antioch was “serving” the Lord as they were fasting. The term “serving” could also be translated “worshipping”—if you remember, the two go hand in hand. What is important to see is that the Holy Spirit speaks to this church as they are practicing worship, fasting and prayer together.
It is beyond the scope of this study to deal with fasting in depth. For many, fasting is the most radical of all the supporting exercises. However, it was practiced by Jesus, the early church, and countless brothers and sisters throughout the years. For those who practice it, fasting can enhance our ability to focus on the Lord and His provision.
A word of caution: fasting does have physical effects and should be carefully considered before attempting it. I would encourage you to do some more research on this practice and talk to your doctor to make sure this will not have negative effects.
In all that we have discussed today, what practices do think could help you the most? What are some simple ways you might implement them?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
