Submission

Ephesians 5:17-22 "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is, and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

Paul, in this passage, talks about how we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the 'secret' to living a victorious Christian life. In the same passage we see an instruction to submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God, and an added instruction for wives to submit themselves to their own husbands. It is interesting the Lord put these all together in the same passage. As a newly married woman, I'm learning that being filled with the Spirit and submitting myself to my husband have a lot in common. Living filled with the Holy Spirit involves a complete death to self, wholly seeking to please and glorify the Lord without thought for myself. It is a beautiful example to women who are wives. As Christ loving the church is an ultimate example of love for our husbands (Ephesians 5:23-33), so being filled with the Holy Spirit is an ultimate example of submission. When we submit to Him, our lives have purpose, we become closer to the Lord, there is deep joy and blessing. Likewise, when we submit to our husbands, we find purpose in loving and caring for them, we draw ever closer to them and gain their trust, and find deep joy and blessing in their love as we follow them. A lot of people say that marriage is 50-50 give and take, but I don't think that's Biblical. Marriage is 100% give-give. Both parties giving 100% in love, not expecting anything in return. The only way we can submit and love our husbands as God wants us to is to be filled with the sweet Holy Spirit. God help us to seek to please Him and love our husbands with submission and honor.

Little Update

I haven't posted in a while here, but I have some devotions written down that I just haven't gotten around to putting online. The reason being I got married 3 weeks ago and moved to Pennsylvania. It's been a major adjustment, and I've been really busy.

I started a new blog; more of a personal one at: http://joyfilledpraise.blogspot.com

I plan to be a more regular poster in the next few months...it's a goal at least. :P