“The rest of the story.”

Yesterday I talked about taking off our husband’s boots and giving him back the reins in the marriage. It is important for wives to submit to our husbands. That was a sore point with me until I read “the rest of the story.”

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[b] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)

First of all, friends we need to notice something right off the bat. God is giving men a lot more instruction then He gave women. Look back at Ephesians 5:22-24.  For WH's (wonderful husband) perspective on this, check out his new blog. But, back to the females perspective on submission and God's instruction for marriage.

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Three verses, that’s it. Submit and why and then again, submit with an example. That’s it, straight to the point, there you go.

Look at what God is saying to the men and no, we aren't talking about the fact that men need more instruction then women.  (It's so hard to bite my tongue here, see I'm still struggling with some things.)

I am thankful God gives men examples and explains it thoroughly.  In order to do something well we learn by modeling behavior of someone who is already doing it right.  Women are going to submit to their husbands, their husbands are submitting to God, so God is leading by example, He is using this to teach men how to lead. 

Love, example of Christ loving the church, and how He loved the church, and then more instructions.  "Men are to love their wives as their own bodies." Our bodies are our temples, we are His masterpiece, and God instructs our husbands to treat us as if we were their own flesh.

God gives detailed instructions, to feed and care for, and to put aside other influences, and be united with his wife. A united front. Children are to submit to their parents, to fall under their authority, however, when a man is grown, and has a wife, how can he be the leader in his family if he is still falling under the authority of his parents? That does not mean we stop respecting and honoring our parents once we become adults and have families of our own, but how many mothers are still sitting in authority over their grown sons? How many fathers are still holding authority over their daddy’s girls? This undermines the foundation of their children’s marriage. No person can follow more then one leader. A woman must follow the leadership of her husband, for the glory of her marriage and her life, and a man must fall under only God’s authority and guidance.

Yes, submission is difficult, but God doesn’t argue the point or leave it open to discussion, ladies, you just do it, so that your husband can, in turn, love you as Christ loved the church, provide, protect, honor, feed and care for. I’m so thankful God opened my eyes to read “the rest of the story”. It’s a lot easier to trust and give my husband his boots back when I know that he wants to give me the love, honor, and protection that Jesus wants for his bride. When two people have God at the center of their marriage, it truly does make it so much easier. Believe me, I’ve tried to do it without Him and this way is much, much better.