Love That Lasts
Doing It his Way
10 out of 14
I do not like the word submission. After living through five years of an abusive marriage and trying to do everything my first husband wanted, that word submission brings up all sorts of bad memories and visions of negative subservience.
What do we do with this word many of us don’t like? The Bible says in Ephesians 5:22, “Submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”
We choose to accept Christ and follow God’s truths and principals. He doesn’t force us to do things His way; we willingly surrender to His authority.
God wants us to willingly submit to the man we married; to adapt to his authority and figure out how to do things the way he likes them. This does not include sexual or physical abuse, nor does it include breaking the law.
My husband and I were shopping at Wal-Mart. As we went to the counter, he stood in one line and I went to another to make our purchases. I thought, “I like my line because it’s shorter and we’ll get out of here quicker.”
It wasn’t really worth an argument to ruin part of our day over standing in line, so I moved, stood by my man and got out of the store peacefully. Now when out shopping I simply ask, “Which line are we getting in?” and I go where he wants to go. In this small thing I figured out how to do things his way.
With your ideas, insights and perspective, you can have a positive influence in the decisions your husband finally makes. Your opinion does matter, but when both of you try to lead you act more like a two headed monster going nowhere. Instead choose to follow and see what God does with the situation.
Submission has nothing to do with equality. Men and women are equal, but we have been assigned different roles. Neither role is superior. The Trinity models this concept. The Persons in the Godhead are equal in power and in substance, but each has a different function.
Larry Crab once said “Submission is resisting the urge to control.” Respect your husband’s God given authority. He can’t lead if you won’t follow.
The more I trust God, the more I learn to adapt and figure out how to do things the way my man wants. He in turn becomes willing and eager to hear my opinions and listen to my comments.
God wouldn’t have told us several times to follow our husbands if we did it automatically. So how big is your God? Can you trust Him to lead you through your husband?
