#52: Taboo Tuesdays: I'm Submitting to My Husband Y'all...
Yep. You heard it here first. I've been married for about 7 1/2 months, but I'm just now realizing that submission needs to occur. I wish I could say it's because I'm just learning about how to become a Christian wife, but that would be a lie. I read books on the matter and spoke to a few older married women during my single years. My "better late than never" attitude is coming for me wanting to be more Christ like and to have a long and prosperous marriage.
I'll back up for a moment and dissect what I mean by "submitting" to my husband. Let's start with this:
Ephesians 5: 22-24 (ESV) --- "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."
Not convinced? Okay, let's give this one a go:
1 Peter 3: 1-22 (ESV) --- "Likewise, wives be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, that they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry. or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the hear with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands."
Whew!
So you see I mean submission in the biblical sense. Do I expect it to be easy? Not in the least bit. I'm was raised by a single mother, who was raised by a single mother. She (my grandmother) was also raised by single mother. Add the fact that I've been financially independent since the age of 18 and that I was living alone for the last five years and it's safe to say I may have a bit of Sister Souljah running through my veins.
But I must play my role to maintain peace in my house. Mark 3:25 says, "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." We tryin' to maintain a strong foundation over here.
Just to be clear, submission does NOT mean you allow yourself to be a doormat. In fact, it is just the opposite. You are doing away with your "single behavior and way of thinking" and becoming one with the man you prayed for. It takes strength and strong faith to submit you your husband. At times you may feel like he is making a mistake or not handling things in the proper manner. It is then when you pray for him the hardest, asking God to help guide your husband as head of the household.
I'm gonna ask y'all to pray for me as I am working on the "...imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit..." part of the noted scripture. And I put mad emphasis on the word quiet. My quick wit and feisty attitude....let's just saying I'm lucky to be married to a man with the patience of a Stewardess during summer vacation Bible school. LOL!
P.S. I'm working on the year long Proverbs 31 Project. You can follow my journey via my Tumblr just be sure to disregard the crazy memes scattered about. I am a little behind already with Month 1 and its exercises but I plan to catch up this week. I will recap here at www.shalandaleigh.com at the end of January with my thoughts and progress.
Stay tuned and be blessed.