Well if youve been enjoying some warm fuzzies from these studies, its time to buckle up, Buttercup! These next few chapters might step on your toes (like they did mine)!! #SheReadsTruth: Ephesians - Day 13: Memorize Ephesians 5:8 - For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Day 14: Ephesians 5:21-33 | Godly Marriage Devotional: Let us go back and read verse 21 together, the last verse in our previous section of Scripture: “Submit to ONE ANOTHER out of reverence for Christ.” (NIV, emphasis added.) We live in a fallen world. The Bible tells us that we are made new through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:5), yet we will still face trials and temptations (James 1:2-4). Paul talks about three specific points in the next three sections of scripture: marriage, parenting and the workplace. It is not until Christ returns again that we are fully sanctified, and it is important that we remember that Paul gives us guidance in response to our broken humanity. I am covered by God’s grace daily, but I still have the opportunity to sin, and often, I do. So as we look at these three areas, I don’t want us to dwell on the fact that we are not perfect, but we need to remember that we are not living in Eden. Our brokenness is not a picture of perfection, but to understand the curse, we need to understand the blessing. I want us to focus on Him, the inheritance we are promised, and grace that covers us every time we mess up. Godly Marriage Paul begins this passage speaking to us as women and wives: “wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” (v. 22) I believe that Paul’s advice is a direct response to our brokenness: teaching us to choose sacrificial love, as Christ loves--and died--for us. For if we look at the blessing given to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28), they are told to subdue and rule together. The curse, in Genesis 3:16b says “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (NIV) Paul goes on to command the husband to love his wife as Christ loves the church. Let us remember Christ gave up His life for us, the Church. (v.25) If we look at the curse given to Adam, Eve is nowhere to be found, but instead the curse is focused on the work and toil set out before him. So what does this mean for us as wives? As husbands? How can we bring our marriages closer to His created design? How can we, through Him, overcome the curse? How can we choose to love the way He loves: making choices to submit and sacrifice, not control. Women, our tendency can be to control our husbands, and we need to learn how to become a helper for him. (Genesis 2:18; John 14:26) That word helper is not some small, backstage role. Its the same word God uses in Exodus when he says, I am Israels Helper in parting the Red Sea and causing manna to fall from heaven! In other words, to be a helper is to be powerful and strong. God is saying in Genesis 2 that hes created a helper for Adam who is strong and has abilities in ways that he does not. And for husbands, the tendency is to turn away, to focus on career, to focus on providing. But that is not God’s design for marriage. Husbands must turn back to their wives and family, a love that is characterized by Christ’s love for us. In Christ, a husbands headship is characterized by becoming a servant and submitting to the needs of his wife, to foster Christ-likeness in her. A wife willingly submits to her husbands lead in serving her like Christ, as she desires to be more conformed into Christs image. Theres a dynamic at play in the marriage relationship: equal and complementary. ------------------------- My take: Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22) I love how the author begins by saying Our brokenness is not a picture of perfection, but to understand the curse, we need to understand the blessing. I know this is an area I often fail in, and it would be easy for me to immediately fall into a state of self-condemnation after reading this. But to know that my mistakes are just another way for me to see Gods grace in action means instead of beating myself up, I can be thankful for the grace that covers me. I can choose to begin each day fresh and ask for Gods strength to do it right. I think that many of us struggle with submitting. Either we think of it in a negative connotation or, if your like me - sometimes we read about what the husband should be and think that if hes not living up to his part, then we are off the hook on our part! (And I mean no disrespect to my husband. I love him. He is a good man... But he is NOT perfect - nor am I)!! In order to truly submit to one another, we must be fully submitted to God. This is how we honor Him. I definitely see myself trying to control my husband rather than being a helper. I use the excuse that he is not being the spiritual leader of our family because he is not in church or walking the Christian walk. To a certain extent, I guess I am the spiritual leader of my family. If that is true, then that means I love them like Christ loves us - unconditionally and sacrificially. By being an example of humility and sacrifice, and submitting to one another, out of reverence for Christ, I am showing my family who HE is rather than worrying that they dont know who I am! Marriage is a holy union, a living symbol, a precious relationship that needs tender, self-sacrificing care (From my commentary). My prayer: Dear God, Thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for blessing me with a wonderful family. Help me lead them to You by my humility, submission, sacrifice and grace. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:55:35 +0000
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