Last night at our church, our pastors' wives did a teaching on biblical femininity, specifically relating to our identity, marriages and dating/courtship. huge compliments to both of those ladies, as it was really really well done.
It's funny how things that you've heard before somehow hit you differently, or resonate more strongly out of nowhere. A familiar passage of scripture suddenly takes on a deeper meaning for you, a familiar song causes your heart and your eyes to well up with emotion, etc. That's how last night was for me - particularly on the subject of submission. So many good things were said, but this has been rolling in my mind since I left...
Jesus claims equality with God, and yet also has clear subordination to the Father's will...he follows commands, and yet He and the Father are one. In the same way, the willingness to voluntarily subordinate myself to my husband is to take on a characteristic of Christ. To quote from last night, it's a component of the image of God, not a compromise thereof.
The reason this resonated with me is because I know what scripture says about submission and respecting my husband. And for the most part I have no problem with this, as I trust that the Lord knows far more than I do in how he's chosen to structure marriage and the family to reflect his love for us as his people. But there is this little piece of me...this prideful, selfish, "what about me?" piece of me that quietly dislikes submission. Especially when my husband and I are not in agreement on something. Or when I'm tired and I don't feel like being anyone's helper but my own. The list here could go on.
So to be reminded that obedience to the Lord in this area is to be more like Christ was refreshing to me...and liberating...its not an issue of "its not about me so just suck it up and submit/respect" but its an opportunity to grow and mature in my love for the Lord. And this, to me, is freeing.
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