Lent: Day Seven

A couple of years ago I was about to start my morning class, when I received an email from my supervisor at the time, telling me I had to use some book in class. My first response was to get angry, and say to myself, “Who does she think she is? I’ve been doing this class for ten years!” But after a moment I realized that this was a perfect opportunity to practice the discipline of obedience. And this brings me to St. Benedict’s third step toward humility:

Learn Obedience

St. Benedict actually had a lot to say about obedience as well. In fact he devoted a chapter of his rule to it. He basically tells us that obedience is not about simply doing what we are told, but obedience is in HOW we do what we are told. It is our conduct that demonstrates obedience, not the fact that we follow orders. It is possible for me to do what I’m told; yet, I may not be practicing obedience as I do it. If I do what I’m told, but I am resentful or complaining the whole time, I am not being obedient. I am being prideful. I believe that I know better than the one who told me to do what I’m doing, and the only reason I’m doing it is because I feel powerless not to do it, or because I fear reprisals if I don’t do it.     

Obedience has to do with humility because obedience is a sacrifice. I sacrifice my wants and desires--I may even sacrifice my pride�"as I obey another. So obedience is the logical next step after the second step to not be in love with your own will�"because in order to obey another, I may have to sacrifice my will. I may have to set aside my personal tasks and projects. I may leave what I’m doing unfinished to carry out what I am being told to do. The instant I receive the order, I gladly, without question or complaint, respond with the appropriate action. By behaving in this way, St. Benedict says, I can mirror the way the disciples respond to Christ�"Christ, the master, commands, and the disciples finish the work.

Now to be fair, St. Benedict is writing about obedience within a community of faith such as a monastery. So maybe it is not as ideal in day to day life. I can be asked by people in positions of authority to do things that I find morally questionable or just plain wrong. But for the most part, even in my non-religious, secular life, most people who are giving me orders are doing so for a reason�"a reason that often affects many people, not just me. Disobeying is nothing more than me putting myself, and my will, above everyone else, which lacks humility. There may be some people in my life who want to simply give me orders for the sake of giving me orders, but for the most part, they have a good reason for it. And, St. Benedict tells me, by following the order, I become partners with the one who is giving the order, and we are both working toward a larger goal together.

In obedience we learn to be formed by God through others. God always works through human beings. If we want a relationship with God, it requires a relationship with others. We trust that God has put people in our lives to shape us�"that our superiors are not tyrants or challenges, or even chores to deal with, but opportunities to learn obedience and grow in faith. In this we imitate our Lord, of whom the Apostle said: "He became obedient even to death" (Phil 2:8).

Obedience may also require us to obey circumstances as well as people. There are things we cannot change, no matter how much we would like to change them. If we cannot change them, then we are powerless over them. If we are powerless, then those things are our superiors requiring obedience.

An alcoholic, for instance, is powerless over his condition�"he is unable to change the fact he is an alcoholic�"therefore, the condition is his superior, and he can only find health and happiness if he obeys that condition by submitting to the reality of his alcoholism, rather than rebelling against the condition and trying to master his alcoholism. Obedience to the unchangeable condition of alcoholism demands that he does not put alcohol into his body. This is an act of humility because his pride would demand that he seek to change what cannot be changed, making abstinence from alcohol impossible. Only by obeying his condition can he find freedom from it. Therefore, we learn to accept what we cannot change, whether it is people or circumstances. We recognize our limitations and we accept them. In this we learn obedience.

Therefore, if I have no moral or legal objection:

1) I do what a superior tells me, cheerfully, gratefully, without questioning it, and definitely without complaining. I can ask clarification questions, or if I have some information about what I’m being told to do�"like someone is already doing it, or they did this and this is what happened�"I can mention it, but if told to do it anyway, I do.

2) I pray for God to form me as I am carrying out the task I am told to do.

3) I do not complain to anyone else about having to do what I am told.

4) I do not insult or complain about the person who issued the order.

5) I can trust the process�"accepting it as God’s will.