Why should a Christian woman submit?

I have been contemplating the meaning of biblical womanhood lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion that each woman must come to the place in her life where it is obvious that God is humbling her, and bringing her to a place of submission.

This is a mystery, but it’s all part of God’s plan - submission.

When we submit to authority as a citizen of our country, we show respect and reverence due to those in authority such as police officers, government agents, or community and civic leaders. Out of humility of our position, we actively and purposefully place ourselves in a position of servitude as we esteem and honor those in rankings of authority.

I believe that God has ordained order, ranks, and levels within the Kingdom Army. The family unit is one way in which the Lord reveals His awesome order. When a husband and wife begin to understand true divine order of the Christian home, the ideas of submission versus dominion become clear.

Truth be told, both man and woman were created for dominion, to rule over the earth and subdue it. But neither man nor woman were created to dominate each other. However, here’s food for thought: both man and woman were created to submit to one another! You will see this as true when you read many of Paul’s letters in the New Testament to the Church. Submitting to one another “in the fear of the Lord” is something both husbands and wives will participate in as brothers and sisters in the Lord, and also as husband and wife here on earth.

The wife is specifically requested to submit to her own husband as unto the Lord. I believe the emphasis here is not on the fact that it is the wife who should submit (because although the men of the homes are to lead with decisiveness and do have authority to carry out the family plans and make the final decisions, it will become clear in a home that is actually in order that a man will submit in friendship at times to his wife’s requests). This is absolutely NOT in any way related to women who want to control their husbands by manipulation or coercion. Instead, I believe the emphasis is on the fact that her submission is as unto the Lord. Note that it is considered a given that submission will take place in the Christian family. It goes both ways (and I’ll explain this in a minute). Women have been given the specific instruction to submit to her own husband. God didn’t command the man to submit to her (notice this, but keep reading).

However, here’s the deal.

A wise woman builds her house, while a foolish one tears it down.

A wise woman will discern that her submission only breeds a spirit of submission and peace within her home. What she sows, she reaps. Therefore, if she submits to her husband long enough and with a joyful attitude, it won’t be long before she finds that her husband may submit to many of her requests (notice I didn’t say demands!)

She will receive the answers to her many prayers, but not through manipulation, coercion, or domination. It won’t happen through yelling, shouting, criticizing, nagging, or harassing .

Ladies, if you are doing this to your husband, repent! Think about it…how often do we read parenting books and listen to parenting experts tell us never to treat our children with disrespect by nagging at them, yelling and shouting, or criticizing them? Now, if we treat our children with respect, how much more should we respect our dear husbands?

When we activate the fruit of the spirit called patience, and develop the godly habit of servitude and humility, we will serve out of respect to our Savior for giving us a husband to serve and show forth Christ’s love to him…and in due time, God will honor us with our heart’s desires. And not once will we have to nag, yell, or plead with our husbands for the things that we desire. God will move on our behalf as we are obedient to Him. Our prayers become more powerful the more we seek to serve our fellow man (our husbands).

In summary, a Christian woman should submit:

• to give reverence to her husband

• to assist in maintaining the order of ranking within the family unit so that her husband may have the power to lead in his home, as opposed to operating in frustration because his wife has tied his hands in an attempt to control her environment
• to allow the fruit of patience to be worked in her life
• to allow humility and servitude to become second nature in her heart
• to bring glory to God as He becomes her main source even when her husband is unable to meet her requests

Dominion…Submission…Confusion?

In my last post, I shared the revelation that God made us women on purpose for His ultimate purpose. Prayerfully, this encouraged you in the importance of your position in the Kingdom and enlightened you in who you truly are as women of God.

As a Christian woman, did you know that you were created for dominion?

Now you may be asking, if that’s the case what’s all this talk about submission? Stay with me.

If you remember, in my last post, I highlighted the truth of the Bible that says God is not the author of confusion, and He does all things decent and in order. I’d like to think that the order and mandates established in Gensis is the pattern we should look to when ordering our lives as women of God. So let’s go to the Word.

Genesis 1:26~Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28~Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

If you’re anything like me, you may be wondering how did I miss that! For years, I’ve read those passages in Genesis and it never clicked. First came the mandate of dominion before submission ever comes into the picture. And so it is with our lives. We come out the womb wanting to dominate. It only takes a couple of minutes around a 10 month old baby to know this truth. My daughter Faith demonstrates this everyday…LOL!

Now before I go any further, let me give credit to where credit is due. This revelation was first brought to my attention by Bishop Hines husband of Pamela Hines. Mrs. Hines is the author of the powerful book “A Wife’s Prayer” which is highly recommended by Demetria Zinga; go check out her post for more details.

Needless to say this was life-changing for me. It shed light on why there’s this inherent tendency, by many women in the body of Christ, to oppose submission of all forms. The desire for dominion is our very essence, and rightfully so because it’s a God-given desire.

Submission is also a part of God’s will for women. Dominion and submission are not mutually exclusive. One without the other creates discord and disconnection. Submission is a choice. And as Bishop Hines stated it’s something that has to be learned.

Through the choice of submission we are “positioned” to manifest the dominion that God has predestined for us.

So ladies stop struggling with your divine nature. Dominion is a part of you. It’s a part of His plan. Instead of trying to suppress and deny it, learn to bring it under submission as He has instructed in His Word.

Look to Christ to learn the ways and power of submission that will bring diva-ine dominion in every area of your life!

Blessings,

Keisha Foster

In The Beginning

“…male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

As we begin this journey to explore, discover and exchange thoughts on biblical womanhood, I thought why not start at the beginning in Genesis where the first expression of woman is recorded? The last portion of Genesis 1:27 is a simple enough statement to understand, but I’ve come to find it is the one phrase that has anchored me and helped me embrace biblical womanhood in my own life.

Have you ever really stopped to consider that God made you a woman on purpose?

It wasn’t the precise arrangement of X and Y chromosomes that made you a woman, but merely a part of the process.

Before the names, roles, and positions were appointed, we were simply women created in His image. One of the only two earthly creations He made with the specific purpose of reflecting His image. Being created female was our first distinction, and this is the place from which all others should flow.

Our God is not a God of confusion. He is the God who makes fingerprints. No two people have ever had the same fingerprints; no two fingers have ever had the same fingerprints for that matter!

Genesis 1 is a wonderful example of how God creates everything with a distinct purpose.

I feel that the beauty, power and purpose of God are best reflected when women willingly glorify Him through our unique and feminine differences. In her book, “Woman: Her Purpose, Position, and Power,” Mary Jean Pidgeon states, “In God’s Kingdom there is no jockeying for position, since everything He creates fills a unique niche. God doesn’t create two things to occupy the same place. He is not the author of confusion, but of order. If God created woman for a specific purpose, then the most powerful place she can be is in position to accomplish that purpose.” My prayer in writing this blog is for us to grow in our understanding of His PURPOSE for women, to encourage you to embrace the POSITION we have in the Kingdom of God, and to unveil the POWER in biblical womanhood.

To His Glory,

Keisha Foster