I was just reading in Ephesians 5 this morning. Verses 21-24 talk about wives submitting to your husbands, a topic that I've read about and heard sermons on about a hundred times. I get it, I know, submit to our husband. Sure. Don't let him walk all over you, but respect him, honor him, yadda yadda. I usually breeze through passages like this because I get it. It's already sunk in. But then, in His usual fashion, God spoke to me in a different way through these verses this morning. Sigh.
Lately I have been having some trouble with control and being right and in charge. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm in charge and in control ALL DAY as a stay at home mom. I call the shots, I decide what we do, I choose the meals, on and on it goes. So it's hard for me to make the switch when my husband comes home and to let him be the one in control. I tend to argue over little things he says or pick apart whatever act he did trying to help or I stay stubbornly rooted to whatever I've decided to do or not do without hearing him out or considering his feelings. Okay, now that I write it all out I sound horrible. Yikes. Funny how God uses his word to refine you and point out the areas where you are sinning or not following his will for you.
"21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything."
Out of reverence for Christ, I should submit to my husband. Out of reverence for Christ and how he gave his life to save me, I should submit to my husband. When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem as though I need to give up my power or my "in charge" hand in order to submit to my husband. I should submit to him because I love him and I respect him. And because he does so many things every day that save me and our family. I should submit to him in EVERYTHING, not just the things I am willing to let go of. He is my husband and Christ is my king. My prayer is that just as I am learning to let Jesus have control of my life, I should also learn to give my husband control of our home.
