Daily Delight
Submit. When my future husband and I prepared our vows 15 years ago, I cringed at the word. I couldn’t imagine entering a covenant where I would lose control, where I would be a step behind in the shadow of my husband. I’d have to set aside my own wants and needs for this man. And I was unwilling to do those things, so we omitted the word “submit.” You see, we saw these words with worldly lenses - we did not yet know what God had truly intended when Paul penned the words, “Wives submit to your husbands…” (Ephesians 5:22 NIV). What we failed to realize is that this single word holds so much more than the world can fathom.Perhaps you too had (or still have) a hard time with the word “submit.” I felt like I’d be losing a part of myself. But as I deepened my walk with Jesus, the more I began to understand what God had truly planned. Yes, He instructs wives to “die to themselves” in order to best serve their husbands. But get this: He instructs the husbands to do the same! Husbands are to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church. And Christ loved the church so much He died for her! Can you imagine such sacrificial love in your marriage? This is what God calls us to do!Mutual submission is God’s design for every relationship, but it’s without a doubt, one of the most important components in the relationship between husband and wife. It is definitely not an easy task, and a submission so powerful, a love so unconditional, is nearly impossible in our human condition. That is why it is so important to keep God at the center of it all. Only through Him can we achieve such love, because it is His love that pours through us for each other.And as we celebrate today, I revise my promise, my vow, and hold it close in my heart. Today and forevermore, I choose to submit to my husband, and he to me.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” -Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)
About the Author
Jennifer Tanaka
