January 2, 2016

Ephesians 5:22 NLT - "For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord."

Commentary:

Being filled with the Spirit has a direct impact on your personal life, in your family and in your work.  Here, the emphasis is on the family and Paul's first words are to wives, not because he is picking on them!  More so, because of their importance in the home.  A Spirit-filled wife is a tremendous encouragement to any family.  She will be the supporter she was meant to be to her husband.  And as she submits to his loving leadership she will also be a role model for her children.  They will respect their father as their mother does.

Please note how Paul uses the way a woman is submissive to her Lord is how she will be submissive to her husband.  The obvious thought is that she has learned to honor and obey Christ.  I've often said that when a man and woman seek to establish a right relationship with one another in marriage they should do so having already established a right relationship with Christ as their Savior and Lord.  A woman who loves and honors the Lord Jesus should seek out a man who loves and honors Christ, too.  And a man is wise to find a wife who loves his Savior.  Her submissiveness to Christ, who she knows loves her, she will naturally show submissiveness to a man who loves her too.