submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
We often miss this verse, because it comes right before Paul telling wives to submit to their husbands. But we are supposed to submit to one another. All of us.
This is an interesting concept to me. My entire life, I have heard it stressed that wives are to submit to their own husbands. But a deeper study of scripture shows that we all submit to someone.
Wives are to submit to their husbands.
Husbands are to submit to Christ.
Christ even submitted to God.
We all submit to the laws of the land.
Children submit to their parents.
Members of a congregation submit to the Elders.
Every Christian is to submit to Christ.
We are all supposed to submit to one another. My desires are to take second place to what my brother or sister needs.
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV) Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
"But if I don't look out for my needs, who will?" I've heard this question before. And the answer is, "God will." If I am looking out for others' needs and they are looking out for my needs, then all needs will be met. Isn't His plan beautiful?? Remember Matthew 6:30 - 33 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
The same goes in a marriage. I'm focused on meeting the needs of my husband. And he, loving me as his own body, is focused on meeting my needs. And ultimately, God has promised to provide for our needs. Not for every single thing we want but for our needs.
That is such a freeing thought to me. I can quit frantically scrabbling to grab hold of the things I think I need because God has already promised He is taking care of it. That means, in marriage, I can focus on what my husband's needs are, because I know God is taking care of me. I can devote my time and energy to caring for my husband and children, for fellow members of the body of Christ, because I can have complete confidence in the fact that God has promised to take care of my needs.
Now the interesting thing about all of this is that what I think my needs are and what God knows my needs are could be two completely different things. God created me, He knows what I need and my job is to let Him take care of it. My job is to do the work He has given me to do, caring for and looking out for my fellow brethren.
It seems so sad to me to see women of the world who are frantically grasping for everything they can, because they believe if they don't take care of themselves, no one will.
Isn't it a comforting thought to realize that God cares for you and, if we follow His plan of submitting to one another, everyone's needs will be met without all that grasping and struggling for what "I want."
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