Rightly Dividing The Word, Submission

The word submission often evokes a lot of negative emotions; feelings; ideas and images in the mind

of women.

For many of you, Submission looks too much like giving up your rights (To Decide, To Speak, To Act).

Submission looks like you are never validated. You always have to compromise, and you will never get what you want or think you deserve.

You may even be thinking if you are smarter (than your man) you have to submit your smarter decisions to some looney toon idea. LOL.

For others, submission is a scary thing.

Yes,

Submission may = fear that you will be taken advantage of.

But not just that there is also,

Submission may =anger because you feel helpless and unsupported,

Submission may =confusion because I know the Bible teaches submission but living it out is not thateasy,

Submission may = being forced to give up what you want every single time.

Truthfully, I know that just the thought of the word, Submission, makes you uncomfortable!

You get a bit more guarded, a bit more defensive and yes even a bit sad because it seems there is a definite Submission trap that you may not be able to escape.

But because submission feels like bondage itself and your heart breaks just thinking about being caught in that what’s worse there seems no way to avoid it especially since you are constantly thinking about getting married.

You may even have come to think that submission is just 1 of the not too pleasant things that come with marriage!

Let’s get real discussions surrounding Submission, especially submission in marriage, are often hard because there is controversy surrounding it. The world has had a field day with it and the Church has not adequately addressed the matter in depth to bring clarity to those who seek it.

You are the Bride of Christ because you are the Church and, in that relationship, you are expected to submit to Christ. This attitude of submission should then be translated to all areas of your life because it has become a guiding principle.

Let’s look at a number of definitions from Google, Merrian Webster and Collins Dictionary which

says, Submission is:

Oh boy… It seems you are right.

It seems like your fate is sealed. It appears it is true you are a second-class citizen, your feelings or opinions don’t really matter-according to the world’s definition of submission.

No wonder for a lot of women, just the thought of submission leaves a bad taste in their mouths!

But it is hard to have the right view on submission if you are looking to the wrong places to find out what it means and what it looks like.

You know better but when it comes to submission you can’t seem to get any joy from the thought of being submitted and the world’s view on it just seems to irritate a wound you never knew you had. Your view on submission is often devoid of spiritual grounding and is mostly based on emotions (that can get out of whack).

You have to go a little bit deeper.

The Greek word for submission is hupotassó. It means to place or rank under, to subject. Interestingly, hupotassó is often used as a military term. Right away you can see that embedded in the word is hierarchy but not a hierarchy of authority (as many suppose) but an hierarchy of accountability.

Ephesians 5 bears this out beautifully-it is a Scripture about walking in love. Verses 21-33 provides a picture of what Submission should look like:

…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one

of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Here’s the hierarchy of accountability mentioned earlier:

Submission is about abandoning your will, desires, and needs for the other. It’s a picture of how Jesus laid down his life for the church.

So, having learned this-what’s next?

You know in the Book of Romans where it speaks of renewing your mind with the Word and to not follow the dictates of the world? Submission is one of those biblical principles that God must have had in mind when He inspired Romans 12:2, here is what it says:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Here not be conformed really means that you should stop accommodating the world’s models or patterns of thinking, attitude, behaviour or beliefs.

While renewing implies restoration to an original state so that you can ‘see straight’ or ‘act right’.

As Christians, you look to the Bible first to learn truths about how to live your life instead of the world. Right?

Rightly dividing the word submission can be no different, you need transformation here more than ever. As a matter of fact, getting the Bible’s take on submission is vital to rightly walk submission out in your daily life.

Why?

Because the world has successfully corrupted the word which often leads women to feeling oppressed and some men feeling superior.

That was not God’s intention. He created an ezer- (Hebrew) helper for man (Genesis 2:18) God declared that “it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Ezer is used over 20 times in the Bible; 5 times it describes woman but over 10 times it is used to describe God here’s one example found in Psalm 121:1, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

What’s more powerful than knowing that God placed in woman the same quality found in Himself- helper. That lady, should give you pause as you consider Submission. Let this truth transform your thinking about submission and what it means and who should do it. A transformed mind is a powerful mind that creates the foundation for real and lasting changing.

Transformation, How?

As you read the Word of God, that is, the Bible, your transformation will only come through spiritual discernment. Do you doubt it? Hear what 1 Cor. 2:14 says:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

So, transformation will only come when your mind is free of the world’s mentality. In other words, stop accommodating the world’s ideas on biblical truths and get filled up with what the Word says about the word (get it?). Some may find submission laughable since we live in a Me, Me, Me culture. You may even hold firm that you have rights too and of course, you do but the Bible teaches you to walk differently from the dictates of the world.

No, not so that you become a doormat to be trampled underfoot every hour of the day but that you become like a doorknob that provides the access to wisdom, communication, thoughtfulness, and amazing relationships and encounters.

You, my friend, can make all the difference.

You become the game-changer in your relationships.

As the doorknob, you have the power to bring such freedom and liberty not just to your mind but ultimately to your relationship with the men in your life.

Just as Jesus submitted to God the Father we are called to do the same- submit not just to God but to each other. Hear what Philippians 2:5-9 says:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…

Jesus, wasn’t afraid to submit to God. He willingly put aside His fears and humbly submitted to God’s plan. Jesus submitted for the greater good. He remains your best example of submitting your will and desires to God no matter how it pains you knowing God has a good plan for your life. Knowing He designed it for your good.

Submission is not about losing oneself but giving honour to God above all else.

The relationship Jesus had with His Father while on earth is very instructive. Relationships in which submission is a bad word or where submission isn’t practised has a lot like fear and discontentment.

There’s no lasting peace and there’s constant competition.

But truth be told submission keeps the power with you! You choose to put others first, you chose and that is powerful and freeing!

6 things submission is not:

So what is submission?

Bear these suggestions in mind when thinking about submission:

9 things submission is:

Our lives are filled with examples of times we willingly practice submission, for instance,

Although the rule exist you must choose to obey-disobedience has consequences.

The truth is submission is around you everywhere you go yet submitting in relationships has oftentimes proven to be challenging.

However, there should no longer be any place for confusion.

Relationships where both partners are submitted to God and are led by His Holy Spirit are filled with trust, they bloom and blossom and emit the fragrance of Christ which smells a lot like peace and security.

Are you the kind of woman who can submit freely, and confidently? Whose identity isn’t shaken one bit even if you didn’t get your way…again?

So tell me, are you still afraid to submit or are will you willing embrace it?