Submission in today's world

Submission can be a touchy subject to people in our times. The dictionary defines submission as "the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person." Often times, being submissive is thought of being forced to do something unwillingly. As humans, we we struggle to submit to authority, whether it be teachers, bosses, law enforcement, government, etc. For example,  refusing to follow the speed limit is refusing to submit. However, the Biblical meaning of submission is more simply putting others before yourself (putting the safety of other drivers ahead of your need for speed). It means not always getting to do what you want to do (driving 10 mph over the speed limit because you are late). Putting God's desires and will before our own (Romans 13:1-3,5). 

Submission in marriage is another area we struggle with. I have so often heard "I will NEVER submit to my husband! We are equals in our marriage." Being submissive doesn't mean you aren't equals. Ephesians 5:22 does say "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord." Our society has taken this out of context (as with many other issues) to make the Bible seem hateful. Continue reading to see Ephesians 5:25, 28, 33 states "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her ... So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies, He who loves his wife loves himself... In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband." Christ submitted and surrendered himself to God for the church. He put all of us before himself. Submission is not a tyrant husband, who forces his wife to submit to sinful desire. It is a loving husband who submits and surrenders to Christ, and a wife who willingly surrenders to her husband. Done with love, submission can bring peace and harmony. 

In Genesis, Sarah was a great example of submission. She followed her husband all over the country, wherever God sent him. Sarah was barren, and was sad she couldn't produce an heir for Abraham, even after God told Abraham [Abram] that He would make a great nation of him, and after God said that he would make Abram's descendants more numerous than the stars . She became impatient, and decided to take things into her own hands, she manipulated God's plan, and had Abraham lay with her maidservant. After a child was conceived, Sarah became irate and began to abuse her maidservant. I wonder if her anger was because of her own guilt of abandoning God's plan. God did not forget his covenant with Abraham, and Sarah did eventually have a son. 


Submitting in marriage should not be scary. It could be as simple as not making decisions without consulting your spouse. In our house, any financial spendings are discussed prior to them happening. We both get a say in the finances in our house, even though I am the one in "charge" of the budget. If I end up going over on something, I willingly sacrifice from my "fun money" to cover it. We ask each other before we make plans, and don't just say "Hey I'm going to XYZ" or showing up 3 hours late because we didn't check in. Submitting in marriage for us is being courteous and respectful to each other. Peace and harmony. Most days anyway! What are some ways submission works in your marriage?