Thursday, June 9, 2011

Scary Verses in the Bible That Make Us Cringe

You want to get beat up? ...just quote Ephesians 5:22-23.

The New International Version (NIV) says, "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."

Does this really work in 2011? And if it does, how?

The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...really?

"The Church" is all the people who follow Christ...all the Christians in the world. So you have to ask yourself first, "What did Christ do for all the Christians in the world?"

Christ, in one sense, left the most loving relationship possible, with the Father and Holy Spirit, and came down to Earth. Christ limited himself by becoming human. Christ, with complete love, taught and led the people. Finally, Christ died for "The Church" so that they would have eternal life.

A husband's responsibility is not small. It's huge. He cannot just do what he wants and what feels right to him. He must separate, limit himself, teach, lead, and then sacrifice - all in complete sacrificial love.

The husband separates by leaving his mother and father. He separates by accepting that his role is different. He limits himself by being gentle in his touch, rather than tough. He limits himself by being submissive at times, rather than commanding. He limits himself by allowing God to make the rules, not himself. He limits himself by going against his nature - to conquer - but rather live in harmony in a family.

He teaches and leads his wife and family by encouraging them and gently reminding them that the decisions that the family makes must first go to God. He makes it a priority to gather his family together for devotions, gather his family together for prayer, pray with his wife alone, and teach his family how God works in his life and in his work. He makes it a priority to grow in his faith in God so that he can be a living example of Christ.

And finally he acts in complete love...and love is sacrificing. He puts his wife's needs and his kids needs up high on his priority list. He knows that his hard work and earnings must go to his family. He has to let go of the selfish nature that is in all of us and sacrifice for the betterment of his family. He must make his relationship with his wife his number 2 priority. His faith in God is number one.

So many men have a gift of looking at the future, fearlessly, and planning it out naturally. They look at the big goals and where their family will be in 5 years and 10 years. This tendency in men fits so perfectly with their role in the family. They bring their ability to focus on the big picture so that the family stays on target. They are goal oriented so that the family doesn't forget what their most important goal is - to love the Lord God with all their hearts and to love each other.

Before you freak out at the verse, just think about it. Yeah, I know, the woman has responsibilities too. But today, I am thinking about the husband.

Let me know your thoughts,
Sue

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