Yesterday I asked us if it was true that wives naturally submit to husbands who have submitted to Christ. Although many of you made powerful contributions, however, not all of you understood the question. The question was: "is a wife submission in marriage automatic because her husband has submitted to Christ?", and not "whether or not should the wife submit in marriage?" However, I will like to thank you for your comments.
Here is my professional opinion:
Over the years, many Christians have believed in this mantra, "a wife naturally submits to a husband who has submitted to Christ". From the clergy to the laity, believers from around the world have upheld that belief for years.
Is that belief TRUE? The answer is NO! Everything in a marriage works because the two spouses are intentional about it. There's no such thing as automatic wife submission in marriage. It's a personal responsibility that she is to discharge. That is why all the biblical verses that talk about a wife's submission are commands, meaning that an effort from the wives is expected in that regard.
Realities on ground show that many Christ-yielded brothers have bad wives at home. Despite having been yielded to Christ, their wives are some pieces of work to deal with.
Marriage requires personal efforts from each spouse. Each spouse must uphold God's injunctions on marriage. Each spouse must be committed to the building of the marriage of their dreams. Marriage functions as a mutual thing; each spouse must play their part.
At this juncture, let me state here that marriage does not work because we are Christians or Muslim or spirit-filled; it works because we are upholding God's injunctions on marriage. Not only Christians are having blissful and successful marriages; Muslims, Jews, traditional worshippers, pagans, etc, do also have good marriages.
One common mistake many people keep making is to believe that everything about marriage is spiritual. Fine, God may have created marriage, but He is not the one getting married or leading our marriages for us. He is just the foundation and guide; the two spouses are the two protagonists, the two actors who determine the taste and shape of the marriage.
When I got married, I told my wife that the success of our marriage will be determined by us. So we pledged to invest our ALL by being unreservedly committed to it. That's what we have been doing ever since; we are intentional, visionary, committed and determined to succeed in our marriage.
By the grace of God, like many other children of God out there, I am Christ-yielded.
However, our marriage is not working because of just me; it's working because my wife is also Christ-yielded. Therefore our marriage is blissful because of the two of US.
Dear wives or would-be wives, it's in your own interest to submit to the headship of your husband as commanded by God.
Dear wives or would-be wives, it's in your own interest to submit to the headship of your husband as commanded by God.
Likewise husbands and would-be husband, it's in your own interest to love your wife as commanded by God. Just imagine a marriage where the husband truly loves his wife and the wife is truly submitting to her husband as commanded by God? That would be a heaven-on-earth experience.
May the Lord continue to bless uphold and bless our marriages. Many thanks for reading, commenting, liking and sharing.