“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:22
Submission is the allowing the of one person to be the ruler of another person’s life. It is putting one’s own desires aside for the desires of someone else.
Although many people do not like to submit to another person, it is seen everywhere in life. In the workplace, the worker must submit to the boss, or else he will no longer have the job. As a driver goes down the road, he must submit to the rules of the road, or there will be an accident or a fine, or both.
In the marriage there is to be submission also. Paul states that the wife is supposed to submit to her husband just as she does to Jesus. Every believer is supposed to submit 100% of themselves to Jesus. They are to obey His every command and desire. There is not supposed to be any questioning or rejection.
Submission like this can be painful at times. It is putting aside your own desires and wants for someone else’s. Since the husband is not perfect, there will be times that his desires are not always the best or easiest to follow. Yet, that is what God wants.
Unless the desire of the husband breaks one of God’s commands, there is no reason not to obey it. Your submission to your husband is an example of your submission to Jesus. Let it be known that you submit to him because you submit to Jesus. Let your love for Jesus shine through your loving your husband.
Allow God to make the needed changes in him and perfect him. As you submit to him, God will make all needed changes in your life to perfect you.
In this you must trust that God knows what He is doing in your life and your marriage. Ask God for strength and protection when the submission is difficult.
Look at the eternal picture. The short problems you may have to endure in submission are nothing compared to eternity with God in heaven. Your submission will speak volumes to your husband and other people who see it. Be the light of Jesus in this world.
I pray today that God will give you the strength to submit to your husband; that God will give you His favor in your submission; that God will touch many lives through your submission; and that God will strengthen and build your marriage centered on Jesus.
Good morning Tom. This post is beautiful and simply points out the truth. I am sure it’s always a topic for us wives- right now it seems like a more prevalent topic amongst some of us…it is so easy to say, “well, HE (the husband) isn’t leading the way we think he should be…or he is just simply out of line..We don’t have to put up with that!” kind of the idea of, “well, if he’s not going to follow God’s commands, them this section of scripture is null…”
I have to say, there is a deep pull in my heart in the direction of your post. Who is perfect? Jesus. Not me, not my friends and certainly not our husbands. The expectations for constant saint-like behavior from any person is simply a lie from the “other side” and a distraction from the truth. Tom, thank you for this post which I really needed to read today! I am going to be sharing it with my little circle of wives over here where I live.
Huge Blessings!
Greta
Thank you Greta. I am glad that it was a blessing and may be a blessing to others. Feel free to share it with anyone you want. Praise The Lord Jesus who made this possible!