A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 6

A Heart That Follows

Ephesians 5:22 ~ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

"The next big item I noticed was I am on assignment from God to follow my husband's leadership."

"This heart attitude is lived out by leaving things to the judgment of another person and yielding or deferring to the opinion or authority of someone else."

Be Submissive One to Another

Ephesians 5:21 ~ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

"God's desire for us--married or single, young or old, male or female--is to honor, serve, and subject ourselves to one another."

• 1 Corinthians 16:16 ~ to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it.
• Ephesians 5:21 ~ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
• Hebrews 13:17 ~ Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
• James 4:7 ~ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• 1 Peter 2:13-15 ~ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
• 1 Peter 2:18 ~  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
• 1 Peter 5:5 ~ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

"A heart willing to follow and submit, dedicated to honoring and yielding to others, is to be the heart of God's people, His church, and His women."

1 Corinthians 11:3 ~ But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Proverbs 31:26 ~ She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

"Author Elisabeth Elliot describes her father's headship in her childhood home.  She write, " 'Head of the house' did not mean that our father barked out orders, threw his weight around, and demanded submission from his wife.  It simply meant that he was the one finally responsible." "

"In the end, the husband is accountable to God for his leadership decisions, and we are accountable to God for how we follow that leadership."

"But God, the perfect Artist, designed marriage to be beautiful, natural, and functional by giving it a single head, the husband."

The Privilege of Choice

Ephesians 5:22 ~ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

"submission is a wife's choice.  She decides whether or not to follow her husband.  No one can do it for her, and no one can make her do it."

An Important Distinction

"The 'who' of submission for a wife is clear in Ephesians 5:22--'Wives, submit to your own husbands,' not to other people we admire and respect.  And this is an important distinction."

1 Peter 3:1 ~ Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

"It's important to mention here the one exception to following your husband's advice, and that is if he asks you to violate some teaching from God's Word.  If he's asking you to do something illegal or immoral, go to a trusted pastor or counselor and follow the advice you receive there."

Ephesians 5:24 ~ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

"underneath God's call to us to submit lies a much deeper, more fundamental call to live a life of faith in God."

"God has instituted it, commanded it, and given me the faith in Him to be able to obey His word--and He is honored when I do."

How?

• Dedicate your heart to honoring your husband
• Remember to respect
• Respond to your husband's words and actions positively
• Ask of each word, act, and attitude, "Am I bending or bucking?"

"Your husband is your life mate.  Whatever he is like, he is God's good and perfect gift to you, part of God's plan for your personal fulfillment and, more important, for your spiritual development.  Your Christian character becomes evident each and every time you choose from your heart to bend, to yield, to honor, to submit, to follow your husband."

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Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for surrounding me with godly men and women that I may learn from, be accountable to, and humbly serve.
May I be a blessing to someone today.
In Jesus Name,
Amen