We realize many who read these posts may be in difficult marital situations and/or have a history of abuse or trauma. We want to honor your experiences and be gentle with your hearts. We encourage anyone in an abusive or dangerous situation to seek immediate help from a trustworthy organization. For those who have suffered trauma or abuse, we firmly believe in the ability of God to heal those hurts and urge you to find a competent Christian counselor to guide you down the long road to wholeness. ~ Scott & Teri Lynne
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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. — Ephesians 5:22-24
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Growing up I played a lot of neighborhood ball. On Broadway {the street I grew up on} I was pretty dang good. I may not have been the fastest but I was the largest! Being large was very handy, especially when it came to playing tackle football {not so much in flag or two hand touch} because it was hard to bring the big man down.
When I reached high school I was encouraged to play football. I was amazed that there were a lot more practices and drills than we ever did back on Broadway. I always hated the end of practice. I was exhausted and the coach would shout, “Line up for gauntlets!” {Many thoughts would come into my mind and none of them were very Christ-like.}
For those who don’t know, a gauntlet is a drill involving several rows of guys about 12 deep. The first guy runs straight ahead facing 4 opponents. Each opponent is tasked with killing you or creating bodily harm. Once past the first guy, the next one is there to create more bodily harm. Success is achieved if you can survive all 4 guys and still stand up, know your name, and don’t need to change your underwear.
Each time we ran that drill, I hated it. But something strange happened over time — I began to rise to the challenge. The more we ran the gauntlet the less I got knocked down. The more we ran it, the stronger I became in the game when it really mattered the most. Guys appreciate a challenge, we thrive on it.
Wives submit!
These words can create such division and conflict in today’s society. Maybe it’s because submission is perceived as being weak. Maybe it’s because submission is perceived as being too old fashioned. But I honestly believe submission is one of the greatest displays of a Christ-like character.
Christ submitted to the Father by being born of a virgin.
Christ submitted to His earthly parents.
Christ submitted to His mother at the wedding in Cana.
Christ submitted to legal authorities during His arrest and trial.
Christ submitted to the will of the Father by laying down His life.
Submit- accept or yield to the authority or will of another person.
There is a vast difference between giving in and submitting.
Giving in is a sign of weakness; submitting is a display of great strength. It takes great strength and discipline to yield your will to the will of another. Submission requires humility. As one writer said, humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.
To fully understand any verse of scripture we have to look at the surrounding passages. These verses fall right between “submit to one another” {v. 21} & “love your wives as Christ loved the church” {v. 25}. When we view these verses as a whole, we see a picture of God’s design for marriage — a husband who loves well and wife who is encourages him to do so.
Wives submit!
Not because you are weak but rather because you are strong.
Not because you are incapable but because you are wise.
Not because you’re oblivious but because you choose to be obedient.
Wives, do you want to be loved well? Then line up for gauntlet!
As husbands, we need the challenge — we want to love you like Christ loved the church. We will fail sometimes but we need you to help us succeed. Every time we fall we are slowly becoming wiser and stronger. Twenty years into marriage, I’m still learning how to love my wife as Christ loved the Church. But I’ve found this true: when wives choose to submit, you give us the opportunity and tools we need as husband to fulfill God’s calling on our lives.
~ Scott
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Today’s Prayer
Father,
Thank you for the gift of my spouse to share this journey. May we strive as a couple to see each other succeed in our calling. May we honor and respect each other, placing a higher value on our spouse than ourselves. Today may we choose submission. Today may we choose humility. Today may we choose to love well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Thank you for joining us for #MarriagePrayers: 31 Verses to Pray for Your Marriage. Scott and I will be sharing a new verse and prayer every day throughout May, leading up to our 20th anniversary on June 1. You can find every day’s post indexed here. We pray you will be encouraged and challenged as you pray God’s Word for your marriage.
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