PAT'S
PERSPECTIVE
Yielding
to Blessing
By
Pat Robertson
The 700 Club
CBN.com
-- People today seem to think "submission" is a dirty word. Husbands
and wives fear that by yielding to one another they'll lose their identity or
independence -- but a ruthless tug-of-war will pull their families apart! I
frequently hear about these struggles during The 700 Club's "Bring It On" segment,
as couples ask some very thorny questions. A husband wants a vasectomy
despite his wife's desire for more children. A mother's permissive parenting style
conflicts with the father's authoritarian ways. A workaholic husband demands that
his stay-at-home wife do all the housework. These are big problems! But
the Bible provides a very practical solution -- submission. Men may like
to quote Ephesians 5:22: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord." But
the key to biblical submission is in the previous verse: "Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21). When we yield to others,
we develop a give-and-take relationship. We listen to their heartfelt concerns
without rushing to judgment or demanding our rights. We ask God to expose any
error in our own thinking and to reveal His perfect answers. In this loving
context, we put others' needs ahead of our own. However, submission does
not mean losing all self-respect, obeying ungodly commands, or being abused --
for God says, "You are precious and honored in My sight" (Isaiah 43:4a). Jesus
was continually submissive to the Father's will, but He had an inner strength
that carried Him to the cross for our sake! In fact, husbands should have
that very same attitude. Ephesians 5:25 states, "Husbands, love your wives, just
as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." When a man is
willing to sacrifice for his wife's good, she is willing to submit to his leadership.
She knows he is always looking out for her and willing to put her interests ahead
of his. And when a woman respects her husband -- even during disagreements
-- he is encouraged to grow in spiritual leadership of the family. Every
day, couples should seek God together through Bible reading and prayer -- with
the confidence that no problem is larger than His wisdom and power!
All
Scripture is quoted from the NIV.
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