God-honoring
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” ( Ephesians 5:22-33 ) As is with any other Scripture, i believe it’s not only good to revisit the breathed-out words of GOD ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ), it’s pertinent that we take it as what God put it in there for … “to teach, rebuke, CORRECT and train in righteousness.” I don’t know about you, but i NEED it ! I also know God tells us to be “doers of the Word and not just hearers, deceiving ourselves.” ( James 1:22 ) If we choose to ignore His Word, does that make it null and void ? If we “hear it”, but refuse to “obey it”, does it become less than “the Word of GOD” ? Satan doesn’t care how much we know about the Word of God…he just doesn’t like us “using it”, putting it into practice, obedient unto God with it. Taking God’s Word lightly will be the demise of millions ! We like to hear about God’s grace and mercy, His forgiveness and love…but we can’t just take the “fun parts” and leave off the “hard-t-hear parts”…the parts that are hard to follow. When God made man and woman, He wasn’t just bored and looking to clone Himself. He made us men to be the leaders of our homes…to rule over our wives and children and to give them an example to follow. What a responsibility; right ?! But He also made woman…not to “lead”, but to follow…to “submit to the husband”. This puts the burden of responsibility on the man…and the wife is to respect his authority as unto Christ. So what if the man isn’t a believer in Christ ? Is she still obligated to “follow his example”? Her first obligation, as a believer, is to honor God and bring glory to Him. She’s still commanded by God to honor and respect her husband, but she’s not to follow his example if it dishonors God. Jesus didn’t go against the Father, but did only what the Father told him to do. That’s our first priority…to do as God says to do…to not be hearers only. If we are ever gonna get this right, we’re gonna haveta follow the commands of God. That goes for men, and women…boys, and girls. By the way…for you young men and young women who may be reading this…look up ( Ephesians 6:1-3 ) and hear God say,” Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”. “Honor your daddy and mama”—which is the first commandment with a promise — “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” We all get it wrong every now and then…but there oughta be some noticeable “change” happnin ! ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ) says if anyone is “in Christ” ( meaning, saved, born-again, believer and follower of Christ ), then they are made new…a “new creation”…leaving the old self in the grave and walking around a “new” person…led by “The Spirit”… not, “a spirit” that looks more like the devil than the Lord ! We’re gonna be held accountable for everything we’re doing and saying here on earth ! ( Matthew 12:36 ) If it’s not God-honoring or bringing God glory, then it’s not coming from the Spirit of God. Lord, put a guard over our lips and create in us pure hearts. For Your glory and our good. In Jesus’ name… Amen.