Gooood Morning ladies! Today's shot of espresso has been brewing in my brain for some time and I just haven't been able to put it inot words...So here's my best shot!
In our generation it is so odd to hear someone say to be "submissive," isn't it? Sounds like you are supposed to bow down and worship whoever you are submitting to. I guess that's why I cringe when I read in scripture that I am supposed to submit to my husband. M and I went to a marriage conference this past weekend and there are always going to be things that rub you the wrong way, but there were some key points that I took away from the time we had together.
First, let's lay out some scriptures that we will use throughout this blog.
Ephesians 5:22-33
"22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."
and
Colossians 3:18
"18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
Ouch! Sounds like we are like a maid servant right? Well that's what I thought to for a long time. As I have gotten older (And I know I'm not THAT old) I have realized that if both the male and female are designed to be a "head of the household" it would be quite chaotic! God designed us to have different roles than our husbands, and the more I have trusted God to let M make the right decisions, the more I feel relaxed and not so tense all the time!
At the conference this weekend the woman speaker said that ever since Eve "Got up and went and took control" we have been trying ever since! And when you sit and think for a few minutes isn't it true? When you think your husband isn't doing something fast enough or just the way you want it done...you just do it yourself? I know I am guilty of that...can I get a AMEN? One of the fruits of the spirit is patience...maybe we should try that when we are letting our husbands live out their roles as the head of the household? I by no mean think that women should be at home all day saying to their husbands, "Your wish is my command," and wait patiently on instruction. But I think we get so twisted over responsibilities that we weren't created to handle.
I love the picture that Ephesians paints though of a marriage. Although it says that a wife is to submit to her husband, it says we are to do it as the church submits to Christ. Don't we joyfully submit to Christ's pan for our lives (When we know what it is anyways haha)? Don't we "Consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2-4)? Why is it that we get so stuck on having to be a slave when it says to submit to your husband? Do we think he will take advantage of that?
If you continue reading in Ephesians it speaks to the husband's responsibility (WOWZER!). Love your wife as Christ loves the church...did you grasp that? Because it is really hard for me to grasp that...that MY husband is called and commanded to love ME in the same way that CHRIST loves the CHURCH! WOW! What an amazing picture of love that is! That my husband should love me unconditionally, be my comfort when I am vulnerable, my strength when I am weak, to protect me...even if it costs him his life.
This week as we contemplate our roles in our marriages...I want you to take some special time out of your day (I know...you already have 38 hours of stuff to do in the 24 you have) to specifically pray for your husbands. It is such an enormous responsibility he has to love and care for you. Pray that he will "Be strong and Courageous."
As for me, I pray for my Husband to be a Joshua. That he would stand up and say to the world "choose this day whom you will serve, but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"
Our marriages take work, lots of work. And it takes committment on both sides. Our committment is to love our husbands and support and encourage them to be the men that God created them to be.
I hope you have a great week!
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