Fellowship Sunday

                    
This week we are spending time with a dear sister in Christ, Nicole  from Chaotic Ark Family.  Join me as we glean wisdom from her post.

                    Submission = Subordinate?


"In the same way, you wives, be Submissive to your own husband so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior." 1 Peter 3: 1-2


My question was how does this verse make you feel as a wife? That first gut feeling when you read it and God is calling you to be Submissive to your husband? Years ago I would have said "EXCUSE ME!! Josh and I are Equal. He's not going to Rule me." Thankfully over the years God has softened my heart and opened my eyes to His Master plan, the Perfect plan. I guess how I looked at Submission was being Subordinate. I have learned that is not true at all. God calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. That's alot of love..Amen? "In the same way, you husbands must give Honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your EQUAL partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so prayers will not be hindered." (1 Peter 3: 7) Do you see that God commands husbands to Honor their wives and if they don't God will not answer their prayers? Pretty strong words if you ask me. Lets go back to the very beginning. God did create Adam first and placed him in the Garden of Eden to oversee it. Adam had God, Walked with God, and talked with God. I mean if you really think about it, what more did Adam need if he had God right at his finger tips but God saw that Adam indeed needed something more and He created Eve. "Then the Lord said, It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a HELPER who is just right for him." (Genesis 2: 18) That's amazing to me. Even though Adam had God, God knew he needed something more, a helper, so He created women. We as women are very important to God. What an awesome job He has entrusted us with. To be a helper to our men. Submission is not about being a doormat for our husbands to walk on. It's about having a quiet spirit and allowing God to lead our husbands. It's about not looking out for our own selfish ambitions but in humility consider others/husbands better than yourselves just as it says in Philippians 2:3. It's not our responsibility to instruct, lead, or change our husband, instead when that earthy desire rears its ugly head we are to remember that quiet spirit and "Duck and Run" as Mckmama calls it. Allowing God to step in. Husbands have a very important and hard job. I am very proud to stand beside Josh to support, help, encourage and strive to be the Godly wife God created me to be. Now I must add here that biblical submission NEVER means you must serve as a punching bag or be emotionally abused. We are called to submit to one another "out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21) If this is something you are facing, God says "Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather EXPOSE them." (Ephesians 5: 11) You are not being unfaithful to your husband when you seek help. You are acting in love by helping him confront a behavior that offends God..

Nicole, thank you for sharing with us today. 
Please stop by her blog to enjoy her heartfelt loveable stories of her family.