“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of he wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:22-24
What happens to our society and our culture with the breakdown of the marriage relationship? Some of us might like to think nothing and move right along, assuming that there is no correlation. I would beg to differ with you today as I make this plea to every woman reading this post:
Submission is not a dirty word; it’s a godly one.
Think about it. Not only are we given the command in Scripture to submit to our husbands (Single ladies, I suppose you’re off the hook for now. I assure you, however, that this principle of submission still applies to other forms of authority in your life.), but in doing so, we are precisely following the example of Jesus Christ as He submitted Himself to the Father in all things. This isn’t some made up form of oppression for women; rather, it is one of many ways that we as Christian women can exemplify our Savior.
Think about it. The world throws around this word as if it’s profanity, assuming it to be something that it’s not. Regarding it as nothing more than old-fashioned and outdated. Let me ask you one question. Does God’s eternal Word to mankind ever become outdated or irrelevant? Allow me to remind you of 2 Timothy 3:16, that not only tells us that every word of Scripture was breathed out by God Himself, but in addition to that, every word is USEFUL for “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” The truth of the matter is, many of us have grown tired and weary of God’s Word serving as a form or rebuke or correction in our lives. We don’t want to be told to change or that we are out of line. Perhaps, you and I need that gentle reminder today.
Think about it. Submission is not a dirty word, not in its Biblical context anyway. The word submit, as used in Scripture, means to willingly place yourself under another’s authority. Notice how this is executed by the one who is submitting, not by the one to whom submission is given. This is a willful thing. It’s an obedience issue. We choose to do this, and in so doing, we become more like Christ. Our only trump card in this is when it comes to sin. Christ is our final authority on ALL things. He would never require us to sin in our submission, but He most certainly might require us to sacrifice our own will in it. See the difference? If your husband is requiring you to sin in your submission to him, that is not Biblical submission. It’s sin. However, Scripture is also very clear on this. We are to submit while our husbands are required to love us, and not just a soft, red and pink hearts, cupid’s arrow, Valentines Day kind of fleeting love. He is to love you as Christ loved the church. And how did Christ love the church? He died on a cross for her, that’s how. He gave up His very life for her. THAT is how the husband is to love the wife. Notice also that we aren’t given a free pass out of submission if our husbands fail to love us. Submission is our obedience to Christ. Remember that.
Think about it. Both are high callings. Both are difficult. Both can only be done in obedience to Christ first and through His strength. Is the call to submission even on your radar? Or have you adamantly opposed submission because of who your husband is not? We would do ourselves a huge favor in throwing out the world’s wisdom on this issue with the rest of our trash and in exchange, glean from the wisdom of God’s Word, which is infallible, which is constant, which never changes. Get a grip on truth today, friends. Submission is not a dirty word.
Denise says
Submission is a hard topic to write about because the world has twisted it. To be a submissive wife is to have strength of character. Gary Thomas says it well: “A man is moved by a wife who lets him lead and then helps him get where he want to go.” Submission brings unity & peace in our homes. Thanks for the good word Cherie!
Denise says
Cherie, as I ponder on submission more I would suggest to those who are struggling with it to start by submitting to Jesus 1st. Submission to their husband will follow.