Submission

By Hayley Boud

I have been watching a TV program called about a women detective called Miss Fisher.  It is set in the 1920’s.  Two of the characters are young and about to get married.  Hugh is protestant while Dot is catholic.  Dot wants to get married in the catholic church and the only way that can happen is for Hugh to become a catholic.  The priest has given Hugh a pamphlet about the catholic faith and now they are meeting together to discuss it with Dot present.

The priest asks Hugh, do you have any questions?  Hugh says, it all seems pretty clear to me but I just have one question, is it true that the wife has to submit to her husband?  Dot looks at Hugh with a face that says, what?  The priest says, yes that is correct.  Dot asks the priest, surely that isn’t for today, the bible is very old, that must have been for the old time.  The priest says, no, the Bible is the same today as it was yesterday, it doesn’t change.  Hugh says, oh, I think I’m going to like being a catholic.  Dot looks unhappy.

Watching the program made me laugh but also made me think of some questions around submission:

1.           What does the Bible say about submission?

2.           Why was Dot unhappy about submitting to Hugh?

3.           What is submission?

4.           What are the consequences of not being submitted?

5.           Given that God has commanded that we submit, what are the benefits of submitting?

6.           How to be submitted?

1.           What does the Bible say about submission?

James 4:7, “submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you”

Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ

Ephesians 5:22-23, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything”.”

2.           Why was Dot unhappy about submitting to Hugh?

For Dot, she was unhappy about submitting to Hugh because she knew that he would ask her to give up her job and become a stay-at-home mother.  Dot didn’t want to do that.  She was afraid of losing something that made her happy.  I think that is the same for most of us, we don’t want to submit because we fear losing something that we want to keep.  Most of the time, it comes back to our pride that we don’t want to give up.

3.           What is submission?

The Greek word for submission in James 4:7 is “Hupotasso” which means to place in an orderly fashion. 

Christ has the supreme the supreme rule.  He is above all other gods, people, ourselves etc.  Then our husbands, then others.  We need to see that the order is not to put ourselves first but to put ourselves last.  To put our ideas, our desires, our plans, our time, our needs last and to put others’ ideas, desires, plans and time first. 

E.g. I might see that things could be done a easier or better way but maybe my boss doesn’t want to listen. I can explain my point of view and then leave it.  If they don’t want to listen, submit to their way.  Can anyone think of other examples they have faced during the week where they had to submit to others?

E.g. a husband might recognise you are right when you tell him that the towel belongs on the towel rail and not on the floor.  Pick up the towel without saying a word is to submit.  Putting your husband’s needs before your own.

4.           What are the consequences of not submitting?

James 4:7, says the word “therefore” which means we should have a look at the previous verses 1-6.  There were quarrels, lust, murder, envy, hate, wrong motives.  These are the consequences of not being submitted.  You will not have peace in your life.  In verse 6 it says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. 

Pride causes quarrels because we have to be right and keep arguing our point.  Pride causes lust because we want to have what we don’t.  E.g. I see Ange with a new pair of shoes, I lust after them and my pride makes me want a pair too so everyone will see me with beautiful shoes.  Pride makes us commit murder in our hearts when we hate someone, e.g. they wronged me, I hate them.  Pride causes envy, “I need that car” because we want others to give us glory.  Pride causes us to ask for things with a wrong motive, “God make that person sick for the way they treated me”.

5.           What are the benefits of submitting?

The benefit of submission is that you will live a life that is without quarrels, envy, lust, hatred but instead live a life that is peaceful.  Who doesn’t want a peaceful life? 

6.           How to be submitted?

James 4:7 tells us that humility is the tool needed for submission.  If we are humble we will submit to other people’s ideas and not have to argue with them.  If we are humble, we will submit to God, others and our husbands.  Other tools that help is love and especially patience (fruit of love).  If we are humble, have love for one another and are patient, we will easily submit.  It’s only when our pride gets in the way that we make it hard for ourselves.

E.g. “husband, why do you leave your mess everywhere, can’t you see I just cleaned up, don’t you love me? If you loved me you wouldn’t do this to me”. That’s women logic.  We think that if someone doesn’t do what we want, it means they don’t love us instead of realising that when we complain and are not submitted, we are the ones that don’t love.

Any other tools that you can think of that is needed to be submitted?