Friend Friday with Count His Blessings

We were all sitting together in our living room. The kids had been wrestling with Brent, Isaiah was crawling everywhere, and I was relaxing after a long day of swimming with the kiddos. Abigail crawls up next to her Daddy and says, “Daddy, you’re the boss of this house.” He smiles (what Daddy wouldn’t be happy about that remark) and says back to her, “You’re right, I am.” She then says, “Yeah, but God is the boss of all the houses.” He laughs and says back, “Yes, that is right.” Joshua chimes in from the other side of the room, “Daddy’s the boss over our house, but God is the boss over Daddy.”

For a lot of women, the thought of submission is not even a thought. And, if they do think of that dreadful word “SUBMISSION”, it is negative. They want what they want and how they want it. Sounds harsh, I know. But, it is truth. We live in a society that says, “Me, me, me.” The reality of the lack of submission in our homes toward our homes is there is a cost.

Who pays the cost?

Our families do!

It is sad. So many women think to submit to their husband is losing apart of who they are as an individual. This is SO not true, ladies. This is a lie straight from Satan. I am here to give you a different thought. One that I pray the Spirit will speak to directly to your hearts as His truth.

What if submission isn’t negative?

What if the world has it wrong?

What if we stopped listening to the world and instead, we walked in the counsel of His word?

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”

(Ephesians 5:22)

Women, hear me, submission isn’t easy. It is the denial of our flesh. And, it a denial that is repeated over and over. But, from the experience of a woman who was raised to be very independent and the very thought of relying on anyone to do anything for me was not something I was EVER about to do, the Lord changing that mindset has been the most amazing blessing I have ever experienced.

Is it always easy? No, it isn’t.

Do they always lead the way you want them to? No, they don’t.

There are times when my flesh gets in there and wants to “prove” my point to my husband, but I have learned (after repeated mistakes!) that I only feel worse after. I suffer, my marriage suffers, and my family suffers. It isn’t worth it!! I am not walking in God’s design for me as a help meet (Genesis 2:18) when I don’t submit. We were created to be covered by our husbands, we were created to help them, not lead them.

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man
is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

(1 Cor 11:3)

I don’t exactly understand it all, I am not supposed to. God asks us to be obedient and when we do, His abundant blessings pour out. Life is more manageable when I am doing the job I was created for and letting someone else do the job, they were created for.

This is God’s design for marriage and it a beautiful thing. God isn’t there to make you miserable; He is there to help you.

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:30)

 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have
life and have it abundantly.”

(John 10:10)

I use to carry so much on my shoulders, so much that I wasn’t supposed to. And, through the amazing blessing of submission, I don’t carry those burdens anymore. My husband leads us as His heavenly Father leads him. Through our example of submission in our marriage, my children are already learning how beautiful submission is. And for them, I pray, submitting to their heavenly Father will be just a little easier.

I encourage you ladies, try it, and see if it works. And please, don’t expect perfection. That will NEVER happen.

I know a lot of women are thinking, “You don’t know my husband, he doesn’t lead, so therefore I have to or things don’t get done and decisions go unmade.” Pray for your husband, my sisters in Christ (The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian is an excellent book, I go there often). Encourage your husband whenever he does lead, no matter how big or small the situation is. Men crave this and the more you do it, the more he will step up and take on his role as the head of your home. Remember, your husband was created to lead, it is in him. He has to learn to lead, just like we have to learn to submit.

And my friends, I know there are also many of you who have husbands who aren’t following the Lord, first pray. Pray for his salvation. This is the most important thing (the book I mentioned above is a great one for you too, I promise), and seek Godly counsel. And never, never give up. I have seen God do powerful soul transformations (I am a walking testimony to that!) and our God, He is no respecter of persons.

Blessings!!