submission
there is one word among the rest that i have a difficult time accepting in my life. it almost makes me cringe at the idea that it is a quality that is required for Godly women: submission. every time i read that word in the Bible, i try to find some sort of loophole so that i don’t find it applicable to my life. or, i just try to justify the fact that i submit enough.
i listened to one of Tim Keller’s sermons about submission in marriage and he said, “Submission can be perfectly in the will of God and devastatingly painful.” for a girl who has spent most of her life trying to be independent and self-reliant, those words are hard to swallow. why go through the pain? is it worth it? as hard as it is to admit, i know God has been pressing this on my heart for a reason- He says, “it’s coming, so get ready.”
i’m reading John MacArthur’s Twelve Extraordinary Women right now- it goes through women in the Bible that exemplify faith, wisdom, patience, hope, love and submission- the attributes that have made them extraordinary. what i’ve gathered thus far, is that the women that have submitted under the union of marriage, truly became the best woman they could ever be. i’m not suggesting that you need a man to be at your best. but, i believe God has modeled submission in a marriage to mirror the way Christ submitted Himself to not only God but to us. i know He just wants to make His bride better through submission. it convinces me that submission may be worth pursuing because of its reward. i mean, nothing He asks of us is ever easy, right?
on a sidenote, i find it interesting that the Bible doesn’t mention the beauty of Eve once. can you just imagine how beautiful and perfect she must have been as the first woman on earth? but what makes her extraordinary, is that she was made for Adam. she was made to complete him. i’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as soul mates, but i think Eve was definitely Adam’s soul mate. she is the prime example of submission.
it’s comforting to know that even the most unassuming women have been used for God’s will. Rahab, the prostitute, for example. even she was able to turn away from her sinful ways because of the faith and trust God gave her. even as i think about my past, i thank God that I have surrendered the woman i was apart from Him. i would’ve ended up in the middle of nowhere, literally. vanity would be endless, deceit would only magnify and trouble would never stop stirring. i believe that my transformation is a testament to the fact that God is able to honor those that choose to submit to Him.
so it’s coming and i want to be ready. first i will submit to Christ. the rest will come naturally, i hope.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:21
