The book of Eph.5:24 says,“Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands”. According to this text, a believing wife is required to submit to a believing husband in everything.Unfortunately not all husbands who call themselves believers abide by all the teachings of the Bible.What happens in such instances? Should the wife do everything the husband asks her to do? What if the husband asks her to do something that is not in accordance with the teachings of the Bible, should she go ahead and do it because the Bible says “in everything”? Do you think if she refuses to submit to her husband in that regard it amounts to disrespect?
Thank God, the Bible is not like any other religious books that are interpreted literally with human wisdom, it was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it is the same Holy Spirit who interprets it.The following Scriptures testify to that,“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work”(2Tim.3:16-17).” Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit”(2 Pet.1:20-21).The point we need to derive from these Scriptures is the word of God is not limited to man’s wisdom, as such, it will be out of context if we literally take ‘submit in everything to mean that the husband has the final say in everything.Does that sound confusing? Come along with me still.
In Acts of the Apostles 5:1-10 there is a story of a man named Ananias and his wife who both lied to the Holy Spirit and they received instant judgement.Acts 5:1-2 says, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife sold a possession.And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet”.Vrs 7 -8 & 10a says,”Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.And Peter answered her,”Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” she said, “yes for so much”.Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last”.
This story is fearful indeed and is food for thought to us women.Sapphira thought she was being submissive to her husband, but that did not spare her the judgement of God. Let’s point out few things that were wrong in this relationship
.i. Submission does not mean foolishness.When the Bible instructs us to submit it does not mean the man has the monopoly of wisdom and the woman is to follow him blindly.God endowed both the man and the woman with wisdom so long as they both have the Spirit of God; God only gave the husband authority over his wife. So she has the ability to discern what is godly and what is not, and she would be judged by her decision. Sapphira would have used her God-given wisdom and restrained her husband from telling lies; by this, she would have saved both of them from destruction.
ii.Submission does not mean that you must agree with every opinion of your husband when it goes contrary to the word of God.When the Bible says the wife is under the authority of her husband it does not mean she cannot take her stand when it comes to her relationship with God.Sapphira had the alternative to reject the plan of her husband (if she had advised him and he insisted).
iii.Submission does not mean you should not make effort to influence your husband positively.It is possible Ananias had started growing cold in his relationship with God and Sappira watched him helplessly assuming that there was nothing she could do since he was the leader.She had the opportunity to alert her husband about his spiritual lukewarmness but she failed to, and she also derailed and both of them perish.
How many of us are behaving like Sappira today in the name of submission? Submission is not compromising with evil, but obedience to the truth of the word of God. Many of us watch our husbands straying away from the truth of God’s word without making any effort to correct them thinking that the husband is the head so he has all the say.Some don’t just watch quietly but even follow their husbands to compromise with the world thinking that is what the Bible calls “submit in everything”.No wonder I was told of a woman whose husband asked her to sleep with his brother and get children for him(because he was unproductive) and she agreed. Is that what God calls submission, is that not compromise and disobedience to God?
When God referred to the woman as a helper fit for the man did He mean she would help him on his way to destruction, did He not mean she would support her husband to fulfil His will? We can easily resist domination in terms of our personal issues, but when it comes to the things of God we are handicapped, why? The Bible says in Prov.18:22 that, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord” when a wife watch her husband walking towards destruction without making any effort to help him, is that the favour God is talking about? Does it not mean that she would be a source through which her husband would be blessed by God?Dear sisters, God is calling us to righteous living, not to a life of compromise in the name of submission.We have a responsibility to support our husbands in the things that are beneficial and glorifying to God and alert them when they are departing from the truth.When they insist on what is wrong we take our stand to do the right thing in a respectful way; while praying for them. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
God bless you.
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