This past weekend at church we had a Q&A series, where the church members could ask questions anonymously to a panel of pastors and leaders. One question was, "Why can't I submit to my husband's authority." Both Pastor Mark Childers and Women's Encounter Leader Kim Anderson fielded this question. They said that unless your husband is asking you to do something illegal, unethical, or unsafe, you need to submit. Kim took it one step further and said that God blesses things that are in order and that our husbands' authority provides us an umbrella of protection against the enemy's attacks. If we think of God's--and our husbands'--authority like a beach umbrella, which casts a shadow to cover your whole body, and our authority like a cocktail umbrella, which covers only a single hair, which umbrella of authority would you rather stand under?
Sometimes it's hard for women to remember that it is both for our protection and blessing that God has given us order for our lives, like a chain of command. The person above us in the chain of authority is our husband and the One above him is God. When I try to circumvent my husband's authority by ignore his direction and doing the thing I think is best, I'm opening myself up for attacks that could have been avoided.
Kim also said that following your husband's authority is a choice. It may be a struggle and you may not want to, but you are still able to choose it. If you've been struggling to submit to your husband's authority, ask God to help you. We may not always understand the reasons, but in the end, it's in our best interest to do so, whether because of blessings or protection for our lives.
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