Wives: One Reason You Might Struggle With Submission

The Biblical idea of submission in marriage is very unpopular to say the least.  But the Bible could not be clearer:

Colossians 3:20 "Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."  (See also Ephesians 5:22-24, and 1 Peter 3:1-6.)

One reason some women struggle with submission may be that they do not realize that everyone is called to live in submission.  

• All Christians are commanded to submit to God (James 4:7).
• Jesus submitted to His earthly parents when He was a child, and all children are called to submit to their parents (Luke 2:51; Ephesians 6:1-3).
• All Christians must submit to the government (Romans 13:1).
• All Christian employees must submit to their bosses at work (Titus 2:9).
• All church members must submit to their pastors in church matters (1 Peter 5:5).
• All Christians must submit to one another in the fear of Christ (Ephesians 5:21).   

The call to submission in marriage is not an insult to women.  God is not picking on women.  God is not giving women an unfair burden.  It is about order and structure, not value and dignity.  Everyone is faced with the responsibility and challenge of submission.  Even within marriage, submission is not one-sided.  While the wife must submit to her husband, the husband must submit to the command of Christlike love for his wife.  Marriage is a submission competition.

You are not alone in the struggle with submission.  Remember that everyone is called to live in submission, and that God has chosen to care for us through those He has placed over us.  Submit to your husband, and trust God to meet your needs.