Friday, 5 April 2013

Why are women apprehensive about submitting to their husband’s spiritual authority?

Why are women apprehensive about submitting to their husband’s spiritual authority? I think it is because they feel they are putting themselves in a vulnerable position. What woman wants to feel vulnerable with the man she married? Why would a husband demand that his wife bow down to his authority? For many of these Christian men, I feel they do not understand the proper ways to love their wives.

The fact is both husband and wife are called to submit to one another. If a husband does not “first” love (accept) God, then he will have a very difficult time loving (accepting) his wife the way God has commanded him to? If a husband doesn’t allow God to direct his spirit then he cannot love and care for his wife properly.

Sincere love for our spouse involves selfless giving. By accepting God's love and forgiveness for our life, it will free us to go ahead and take our eyes off of self so we can begin to love our spouse unconditionally. That is what submission is. Jesus Christ submitted His will to the Father, and we honor Christ by following his example. So when we submit to God, like we are supposed to, then we are able to better understand how to submit to the person we married and all others we interact with on a daily basis.

Now that you have purified yourself by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22)

The problem is couples don’t understand God’s formula on submission; they have taken God’s words on submission out of its context to use to their own advantage. Some Christian men believe they can be bossy, controlling and demanding with their wife and that she needs to automatically give in to those demands. But this is not love. This is boot camp!

Rebelling against the design of marriage is rebelling against God - it is an attitude problem. I can understand an unbeliever having a difficult time conforming to God's standards and design for marriage, but I certainly cannot understand a Christian couple rebelling against God's Words. If we claim to be Christ's Ones, then we must walk as Christ Ones and heed the word of God!