Ephesians 5:22. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
–NKJ
This verse is not a popular idea among those who are in the civil rights for women movement. On the surface it seems to place women in a lesser value than men, but if you think that way, you’re not reading it in context.
The verse before says to submit *one to another*. This is all inclusive of both sexes, all races, all nationalities, for everybody who claims to be a Christian. Not for women alone. Submit to each other.
The word ‘submit’ is actually a word that means to be ‘subordinate’. For me, when I think of subordinate, I think of numbers, structure, order, smaller pieces fitting together to make a bigger unit.
In school, when you have to write an essay, there is a definite outline structure to follow. The title, the Introduction, the Main points, and the conclusion. Each main point is broken down into usually three ‘subordinate’ points. . Those points are not the entire essay. Even the higher level points are not the entire essay. Each part does its job to fully define the topic.
If a wife is subordinate to her husband, she does her part to define her husband. To build up themselves as a married couple and define their part in the big picture. The man was never meant to go it alone. He is there to offer the main structure, to be the umbrella that the wife fills in with the detail.
A woman does not have to submit to just any man. In fact she should never be forced to subject herself to anybody. Only her own husband.
In doing so, she honors the Lord. It is the way he wants it to be. It is a matter of commitment to the marriage. It is a matter of respect for the one and only husband who the wife is teamed with. It’s a matter of love for herself, for her husband, and for the Lord to practice these things.
Men aren’t off the hook with a free hand to do as they please. Take time to read the verses surrounding this passage. In fact, stay tuned and read more about it tomorrow.