Submission

Jesus~ Teach me to be a wife...                  
Submission is a word I have grown rather fond of.  This was never the case with me. But eleven years ago Jesus rescued me.  I was filled with pride, I was loud, incredibly narcissistic and had a pushy sexuality that any carnal man would love. But that was not what God had for his daughter. He took me in, cleaned me off, and started me on this long road of purification. 

I am now at a place in life where I am asking, seeking, and knocking....  Many years ago Jesus told me I would be "happily married". As I approach this event in my life I want to be sure I am all that I need to be- in order to avoid devistation. 

A few sections of scripture are burned into my heart on this subject.

In Genesis 24:63 A servant was sent out to obtain a wife for his master, Isaac.  The dilligence of a woman named Rebekah showed the servant that she was to be his masters wife.

He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”  “He is my master,” the servant answered.       So she took her veil and covered herself.

I just love the mystery and modesty that Rebekah wraps herself in. What does the Lord require of us women? To push out our body parts to attract a Godly husband? No! This woman covers herself and affirms her trust in a God to deliver her hearts desire. 
 
I was having a discussion with my best friend of 21 years.  She has been in a marriage for a long time and dilligently researches, and practices how to be a submissive wife. She brought up a scripture that was central to this blog:

Ephesians 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.
 
And there's that word, submit. I cant fully explain why but I embrace it more and more as I allow myself to be given over to the soverignty of who Jesus is in my life.  My best friend was telling me that we are to approach our husbands with the attitude and respect we approach Jesus with! When she said that it all became clear to me.  I knew how to approach Jesus and it was always with respect first, then praise, then if I had any issues they would be made known. 
 
This is not to discredit a husbands role in fulfilling his scriptural duty to LOVE his wife.  Because women NEED love.  Jesus says a man's prayer will not even be heard if he is not loving his wife as Christ loves the church! Those are some strong words for a man that has ears to hear.  But our obedience to what is required of us as wives is not predicated upon our husband's behavior!
 
And ladies...if we in fact have ears to hear what God spirit is saying to us we would know that it is us as individuals who God will want to deal with. Yes, men are __________ (fill in the blank for your man) but I have found in my life and in the lives of many friends that God will always deal with us individually in order fix the problems within a marriage.  We don't have a marriage problem, we have a sin problem.
 

I have waited for a long time...not to be just married, but happily married!

 
Lord, I pray that we would all see what you set up IS what's best. You have crafted men as strong providers and protecters that crave respect and honor. You have crafted woman out of man.  They long to be loved, known, and admired. You so wisely said in your word that husbands are to love their wives and wives are to respect their husbands.  Jezebel and Ahab are the perfect example in your word of disobedience to a marriage order. I believe our enemy would have wives to be self-willed and domineering to disrupt your perfect order for a marriage. You forknew what it would take for a marriage to work. You laid out the plan in the marriage perfectly.  I pray you would make me more like Esther in my approaches toward my future husband and less and less like Jezebel. Forgive me God where I have fell short in my life. Help me to love others and care about the affairs of others and not just be concerned with my own life. You are good Jesus. Thank you for your banner of  love over me.  Amen.