STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL

January 13th, 2012 | By admin

by Chantelle Swayne

I just love the way God talks about women in the Bible, and the way God has designed for women to be treated and respected! In God’s eyes we are precious, are to be respected in our marriages, and have a beautiful role to play out in our lives. As the following verses depict:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Ephesians 5:25

”Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

…and there are many other verses and bible stories that exalt women, like the story of Mary Magdalene who was the first to see the risen Lord and spread the news! This tells me that we as women are strong and beautiful in God’s sight and can have a great impact on the Lord’s work. So why do people think the bible is oppressive to women? I think it’s because of these following verses:

“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; …For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” 1 Peter 3:1,5-6

“To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:5

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.” Colossians 3:18

“Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” Ephesians 5:24

These are some hard verses for the world to understand! The world today depicts woman as an aggressive superwoman who can hold a job, household, and a husband all under her thumb while bowling over men in the workforce. Don’t get me wrong, like I said, women are very capable and can handle a large workload – but sadly, many in the church today have adopted this mindset and are ruling their households and holding jobs while they could (not talking about women who have no choice in the matter) and should be looking after their children and are calling the shots in their marriages, contrary to God’s will (Titus 2:5). Even though I’m sure we all know these verses, how often do we really apply them to our lives? Think about the next couple of verses:

“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:11,12

I think these are some of the hardest impacting verses in the bible for me! With the impact of the world today on my life, I sometimes find it hard to make these verses a reality. Can my husband safely trust in me?

I am so grateful that I am a woman, and that I don’t have to make the important decisions in the family. That part is easy – Patrick decides where we are going to live or where we are going to move or enforces daily bible time and other important things. He makes good decisions for our family, and this is the main reason I so often stress: It is SO important to marry a good, FAITHFUL, Christian man – because the one you choose to marry is the one who will make the decisions in your marriage!

But what I find difficult is that last we must obey our husband in everything. In everything?! So that means as long as my husband doesn’t tell me something that goes against God’s will, I must listen and obey! Boy, this is an unpopular teaching – but so far in my life I have not heard anyone bring to me a better way to explain these verses – it says to be subject in everything! That means everything – if my husband tells me he wants me to do something that is reasonable and godly, I had better do it! This is the hard part. This means even when I do not agree, or think I could be using my time more wisely – I must do what my husband wants me to do. My husband needs to be able to trust me to do the things he requires me to do – how can our husbands run our households effectively if they cannot trust us to do what they ask us to do?

This teaching is hard for the world to understand, I think that’s because they think that submission and obedience implies that the woman is not equal to the man – but we must understand that if we as women must choose to submit, that that implies we are equal to start with and we must choose to put ourselves under our husband’s leadership! We as Christian women should understand this and apply it to our lives. If we do, look at what the outcome will be: we will be pleasing to our God and will cultivate peaceful and happy marriages! Sometimes it’s hard, but it’s so worth it!

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:28-31

As an end note – even though it’s hard to be obedient to our husbands at times and submit ourselves, but I do believe we have the better end of the deal. We only have to submit – our men must be willing to die for us!