Submission

Col. 3:18

 

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

 

Submit, what a misunderstood word! Today it definitely has a bad rap, but perhaps there was some validity to these thoughts. Was submission understood to be slavery? Ruling without any voice or recourse? Indeed submission is not slavery, but has an essential willing component. It is willingly putting oneself under the direction of another. Why would God initiate such an order? Certainly it wasn't to frustrate the women of the twenty-first century!

 

I find that the divine example is the most telling. Jesus, my example, savior, redeemer, hope, and my everything willingly submitted to His Father to the point of death. Jn. 5:19 says, So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. What an example! Phil. 2:6-8 shows to what extent that submission went. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Is Christ's example in any way demeaning? Does it mean He was inferior? Of course, we know it doesn't because what He did is to our benefit. Sadly, when the shoe is on our foot, it's often a different story.

 

Since all believers are to emulate Jesus, to grow in holiness as He did, to let His indwelling power fill their lives, should we follow Him in this crucial area within the husband and wife relationship? We all know the answer! But how hard it is to say it! Perhaps are difficulty in submitting to our husbands is a sign of our overall attitude to Christ. Are we in essence saying, it was good for You Jesus, but not so much for me? Are we in essence thinking, Jesus had to submit to the Father who was perfect in all respect, but we have to submit to a flawed human being? Are we allowing this command to degrade our view of God? Are we thinking God cannot work through our husbands or even transform them? Certainly, as they grow, so do we.  Where is the submission that Paul mentioned in Phil. 2:3-4, Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his (her) own interests, but also to the interests of others. How many times have I read that and never applied it to marriage? Would willing submission eliminate rivalry and conceit? How convicting!

 

Father,

Teach my heart and attitude of submission. Help me have an obedient heart. Give me Your grace and strength to live in the home as You would have me.

Christ in me and in His name,

Amen