Submission, is it a dirty word?
Submission in the Christian family structure is beautiful. Submission cannot be a dirty word in a Christian setting. I have read the passage in Ephesians and love the word picture of Christ loving the church, us. If all relationships were filled with the Holy Spirit, it is not a difficult thing for a woman to be submissive towards her Christian husband or even another Christian. To submit in such a loving relationship is like watching the give and take of a windmill in the wind; the sand sliding on the beach, ever changing, but remaining the same as the ocean rolls; the clouds dancing to the highs and lows of the atmosphere; a flock of chattering birds following the edge of the lake; a well-trained dog on a leash. Beautiful. It is no wonder that we are encouraged to do so. When done properly it is like poetry and what a testimony to the Savior that we know.
Hupotasso --- hoop-ot-as-so the Greek word for submission --in an ungodly situation ---ends up with a woman jumping through hoops for an a*****e! Excuse the awful word-picture definition - but that is exactly what I imagined when my lips formed the pronunciation that e-Mom has posted on her Marriage Monday blog. Perhaps I have seen one too many times where a Christian woman has married an ungodly man that I have to say - in this place - that woman will have a horrible life as she jumps through hoops trying to please him with his ungodly demands, his ungodly ways.
Christ and the Church and submission. This truth - lived out vividly for me through the husband I have been so blessed to know and love for 34 years. He is the one that taught me - he should love me like Christ has loved the church. "Christ died for the church," he's said so many times. (Many times I have probably made him feel like he was dying too! Sorry Husband.)
We, as the Church, submit to Christ. Christ loves us and it's not difficult to say yes to Him. I, as Doug's wife, submit to him. Doug does not demand me to submit. He does not ask me to submit to him by doing stuff for him, or to have dinner prepared and hot for him when he gets home from work. He does not ask of me anything - but I do like to do things for him that I think that it would make his day great. It is the same as when we want to do the things that please Jesus Christ. There have been situations when my heart said... be quiet, listen to him, he has the final word. You know what? I totally trust that his decisions will be best for me, because he loves me! I see that submission can be a rest to me by leaving those decisions in his hands.
My heart aches for the Christian woman who has found herself in a situation where to submit will include continuing physical and emotional abuses, not only towards herself but also her children. These women have, either knowingly or blindly believing themselves to be loved, married an ungodly man. In these situations, submission is a "dirty word." Why? Because this woman's life will include submitting to the dirty things of this world which her husband has not given up.
I don't believe a Christian woman has to stay with an ungodly man - but that could possibly be another subject for another Marriage Monday.
Check out the other Marriage Monday Blogger's that have posted blogs on submission by going HERE.
