Monday, April 28, 2014

The Reason We Refuse To Submit


Fear is the chief motivator behind most women's struggles with submission and trust. Consider Sarah, the wife of Abraham. He told her to lie to the Egyptians and tell them she was his sister so she obeyed him. God protected her and struck Pharoah's house with a plague.

Whenever I teach about submission, I always get a lot of "what ifs" to disqualify women submitting to their husband. The "what if" game is always, always based on fear. "Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." {I Peter 3:6}

We, as women, think our husbands are incapable of leading. Our husbands hear this message from us loudly and often. We have a tendency to speculate and meditate endlessly on what might happen if we don't get our way. We somehow think we know much better than our husbands or even God.

We won't really know what God has in mind, if we never let things get beyond our ability to control. If you don't allow your husband to step off that cliff once in a while, you will be doomed to go through the same problem over and over. God many times uses failure in our lives to teach us and get us to where He wants us to be.

Sarah sometimes exercised great faith, and at other times she stumbled in fear. She followed her husband through all of his failures and his successes. In everything, her faithful God watched over her, protected her and walked with her through the long journey of her life with her husband, Abraham. Will He do no less with us?

How many blessings are we missing out on because we are afraid to truly submit to and allow our husbands to lead? How come we don't let him have the final word? How come we fight God's command to us on this and hold onto our rights so vehemently? Let's not do this anymore, okay? Let's obey God and allow our husbands to lead us in the way they see fit and trust our heavenly Father with the outcome. Can we all shake on this?

Comments (6)

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I think this is true. I am so thankful that I have a wonderful husband that I can trust to lead our family. It makes submission so much easier when I can trust my husband to do his absolute best and to seek wisdom from God. And, although my husband is a fallible human, I can also trust my Heavenly Father to guide my husband. We aren't in this alone. If I truly trust God and trust my husband, I can give up control and follow my husband's lead and know that it will be alright.
Actually Sarah was Abraham's half sister (as Abraham tells this to Abimelech in Genesis 20:12) My thoughts on this are that Sarah loved Abraham very much & was truly concerned that Abimelech would kill him, so she went along with the plan. I think a good balance on this subject is to consider Ananias & Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 This was a huge sin for Sapphira to conspire in Ananias's plot to cheat the church while making himself out to be "spiritual & generous". God definitely sees the heart & weighs the motives! I find this post very insightful Lori. I think it is so interesting how a wife's submission closely parallels all of our relationships with God the Father as we learn to submit to His will. Faith means it is essential to learn to obey Him & He so patiently, yet firmly & painfully teaches us this lesson. The rewards are a blessed peace & joy & a wonderful relationship with Him! ("Perfect love casts out fear...") Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia
Hello Lori, I agree that it is always fear and self preservation for most women. I also enjoyed the point you made on allowing our Husbands to fall off a cliff, as this is the way most of us learn!
Also,please come to my blog for a Link Up starting this Wednesday and each Wed. After that, God willing. Your Type of Blog is a powerful motivator to challenge and instruct!
No fear! Biblical submission is not for wimps!
In Christ Always, Roxy
Loving been his wife's avatar

Loving been his wife · 569 weeks ago

Not all of us refuse!
oxo
Loving been his wife's avatar

Loving been his wife · 569 weeks ago

Not all of us refuse.
I count it a great joy to submit to my precious Hubby. And yes he has fallen off many a cliff but God has been there to lovingly pick him back up and steady his feet in Him!
Lori, I was thinking about submission tonight while driving home from the supermarket and I was thinking it is such a loving way that God has made life safe for women like me who find it hard to say no to some people. Antony protection has saved my life and sanity many a time over this last 34 years!
He doesn't respond emotionally; where as I do most times! :o)
PS. I love that you included the fall off cliffs.
oxoxo
AMEN!! There is such great freedom in letting the husband lead. It is not always easy, mind you! I love your blog and I want to encourage you to never, ever change from writing the truth. It is so needed in this crazy world. Thank you!

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