Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Men probably shouldn't read this

I don't think we women want them to know how much we understand:-)

This is in response to a comment I had on my last post.If you, a woman, truly want to be treated as an equal (or better)- submit.

God created man to respond to competition with competition. When you challenge, he instinctively responds by fighting you for control. But God also made him to be a protector. If you submit to him he will respond, instinctively, by protecting and PROMOTING you. He will begin to treat you like a princess and value your opinion more than ever before.

I have been married for twenty-one years to a wonderful man. We are both human and have had our ups and downs. But for the most part, it has been a great life. I was taught submission by my mother though she didn't put it in the words I have used above. I have always done the best I knew how to submit to my man.

However over the last few years I have read several books that challenged me to submit even more and in ways I never had before. The first result was the great sense of power I had. I was in control of whether I followed God and what mood I was in; my hubby's mood didn't matter. The empowerment to decide to cheerfully obey no matter what he did, was incredible. But what happened next was even more wonderful.

My man has always cared for me and done his best to supply for me. But when I notched the submission up, He totally flipped! He began to really talk to me, forgot everything bad I had ever done (I mean it! The other night he tried to tell me in total sincerity it had been more than a decade since we had had a disagreement, when I know for a fact the worst one of our marriage was only a couple of years ago! He has forgotten all about it!), brings me flowers, searched out a movie he knew I would enjoy though he wouldn't, spoils me rotten (or as much as our $$ will allow), and has gotten down right sappy-lovey! (You haven't lived until you have seen a 6'4" man being sappy:-) He has worked hard to improve every area of our lives I have always felt needed improving, but that he refused to do anything about before.

I am convinced that when God inspired Paul to write for women to submit to their hubby's He was not setting up an abusive master-slave relationship, but was giving us women the key to how to get everything we always really wanted. Of course if we "submit" in an attempt to get our way, it is not submission, it is manipulation. Men know the difference. Submission must come from the heart and be sincere.

As for scripture:

Eph 5:22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.Submit is from the Greek word hypotassō(hü-po-tä's-sō ) which means;put under, be subject unto, be subject to, submit (one's) self unto, submit (one's) self to, be in subjection unto, put in subjection under, misc(note: God does not tell men to make their women submit. It is not their business. This must come from the woman herself)If God doesn't want wives to follow the above scripture than He doesn't want men to follow the next verses;

Eph 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (not nag the church and abuse it, but make it better through guidance and love) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it (the church/wife) should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church (so men should treat their wives): For we (the church) are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (just as a wife is a part of her hubby's body). For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh (and he should treat her as he treats his own body). This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.You can't have it both ways. Either wives submit and hubby's love, or wives rule the roost (someone always ends up being boss) and hubby may use her as he pleases for his own pleasure with no thought to her.

This is a dirty little secret the feminists didn't tell us when they dumped submission; we also gave up sacraficial love.To love someone enough to die for them means to put their needs and wants ahead of your own; to die to yourself for their benefit. Christ died the most torturous method of execution man has ever come up with for our benefit. He gives all we need to become the best we can be and is patient, kind and gentle...always. This is often not taught in our churches, what God demands of men. It should be. It is not a hard thing at all to reverence and obey my man who loves me enough to die for me, care for me, give himself for me.

Col 3:18Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.The very next verse;

Col 3:19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.Again, if women shouldn't obey hubby, hubby needn't love wife (freeing him to use her for his own selfish pleasure) and children shouldn't obey their parents.

I understand why a man would not want to believe these scriptures are a direct command of God. It is much easier to continue to be selfish than to love your wife as Christ loved the church.

But why in the world would a woman want to give up this kind of love???!!!