Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Submission

This Sunday we continue the series "ALL" at church. I am teaching how to get "all" out of life. The underlying theme is "to get ALL you have to give ALL". This week the topic is "ALL for My Family". In preparing, I was drawn to Ephesians chapter 5. This is of course the traditional "wives submit to your husbands" passage. I've heard a hundred plus sermons in my lifetime from these verses. Usually, they all make the point that yes the wife is to submit to the husband. However, the husband is to treat the wife "as Christ loves the church". I believe this to be a correct interpretation. The interesting part is that just following these verses is the beginning of chapter 6, where children are instructed to obey their parents, and then slaves are instructed to obey their masters. Remembering that this was a letter written by Paul to the church at Ephesus, it got me thinking. They didn't have that little bold print that says "Husbands and Wives". They didn't have the verse numbers or the chapter numbers. And, just preceding all of this is verse 21. This is before the whole "wives and husbands" section, and definitely before chapter 6 (where children and slaves are given instructions). This verse simply says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." I think that is the key, the thesis to all of it. If we can just submit to each other, because of our reverence, our "revering" of God, then our relationships would all be stronger.

Lord help me as I deliver your message on Sunday. I pray that my words and thoughts are Yours. God, I want them to get the "ALL" out of life.

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