Reverential Submission

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Ephesians 5:21

Many people balk at the word, “submission,” dismissing it as antiquated and irrelevant in today’s society. There is no doubt submission has gotten a bad rap, even among Bible believers. The word conjures up thoughts and feelings of disrespect and male chauvinism.

The truth, however, is that we all submit to someone or something. The problem isn’t with submission itself. The problem is that we want to decide when and to whom we submit.  It’s a control issue…like all sin. We want control. We might be willing to submit when it suits us, or when it is easy.

God says, however, to submit to one another in marriage out of reverence for Christ. The submission has nothing to do with your spouse and everything to do with the worth of Christ. I am convicted of this, even as I am writing now. How often do we approach our spouses with the humility and honor that we would give King Jesus? Instead, we tend to treat our mates the way we think they deserve to be treated. When they love, we love. If they are kind, we are kind. You get the idea. And yet God seems to leave the other person completely out of the submission equation and instead inserts His Son Jesus.

The way spouses submit to one another…the way husbands lovingly lead their wives…the way wives respectfully submit to their husbands are all determined by a relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s purpose for our marriages will not be fulfilled and enjoyed if our chief focus is ourselves, or even our spouses. Our hearts must be fixed on Jesus. Our minds must be saturated with the truths of what He has done for us, and what He is doing in and through us each day.

It all goes back to reverence for Christ. When Christ is ruling our lives, our marriages become an expression of His love and grace. Our actions and attitudes reflect His character, and others are able to see Him through our lives.

Heavenly Father, I know it pleases You when I put the needs of my spouse ahead of my own. Please give me Your grace to humble myself out of reverence for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.