[Vision2020] Submission

[DonaldH675 at aol.com]

Keely has written a beautiful post on genuine Christian submission. I  think 
V2020 readers might be interested in Nancy Wilson's thoughts on the  topic. 
_http://www.credenda.org/issues/9-2femina.php_ 
(http://www.credenda.org/issues/9-2femina.php)  
_Volume 9, Issue 2_ (http://www.credenda.org/issues/9-2.php) :  Femina 
Two Hedges
Nancy Wilson 
Much godly wisdom about the feminine character is packed into the first six  
verses of 1 Peter, chapter three. The primary charge to women in this passage  
involves submission, and the rest of the exhortation addresses related areas 
of  modesty, internal beauty, a gentle and quiet spirit, trust in God, and 
fear. It  is vital that women understand the connection submission to husbands 
has to that  much desired gentle and quiet spirit.  
God has put two hedges around  a Christian woman for her protection. The 
first and more important is a woman's  trust in God. This is followed by a godly 
submission to husbands. "For in this  manner, in former times, the holy women 
who trusted in God also adorned  themselves, being submissive to their own 
husbands" (v. 5). Trust in God enables  a woman to submit to her husband, for it 
is certainly a prerequisite. She tells  herself that God is faithful, that He 
has commanded her to submit to her  husband, and that her obedience to God in 
submission is pleasing to Him. When  submission begins to look foolish or 
frightening or just plain unappealing, a  woman remembers this hedge of trust in 
God. He has promised never to leave or  forsake His children. A wife must trust 
Him and walk by faith. This is the first  protection. 
Some people mistakenly think  that a gentle and quiet spirit is displayed 
when a woman never speaks. This has  concerned some of the outgoing personalities 
because they don't know how to be a  silent lump. This is merely looking at 
externals. Certainly sometimes a quiet  spirit will be exhibited by silence, 
but not always. And a quiet person can be  all worked up on the inside. This is 
missing the point. A heart that is resting  in the faithfulness of God is 
gentle and quiet; it is not stirred up with worry  and anxiety. This gentle and 
quiet spirit is a calm, peaceful spirit. It is a  tame spirit, a gentled spirit. 
I have often compared this kind of spirit to a  glassy lake, not turbulent or 
troubled, but hardly showing a ripple. In  contrast, the anxious spirit is 
like a stormy sea with whitecaps whipping along  the shore. This of course 
brings to mind our Lord calming the troubled Sea of  Galilee. Likewise, He can calm 
our troubled spirits when we look to Him. 
The second hedge of protection  is the submission itself. When a woman trusts 
God, she is enabled to submit  joyfully to her husband. This submission is 
another hedge of protection, because  it is obedience. The responsibility of the 
decision rests on the husband; the  consequences are his problem, not hers. 
This resting in God and submission to  husband is what makes a woman beautiful: 
"let it be the hidden person of the  heart, with the incorruptible beauty of 
a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very  precious in the sight of God" (v. 
4). God thinks highly of this gentled spirit,  and so should we. We must strive 
for this kind of beauty, for it is  incorruptible. A calm wife is a joy to her 
husband; a worried wife is another  problem that needs solving. 
A woman who is anxious and  worried is marring her beauty because fear is 
antithetical to a biblical beauty.  Sarah trusted in God and submitted to her 
husband in obedience. Christian women  are called to imitate her faith and her 
good works of submission. This kind of  good work keeps women from being afraid 
with any terror. When she is tempted to  worry about a decision her husband 
has made, a woman can tell herself that she  is trusting God and submitting to 
her husband, and that is what she is called to  do. She is not sinning and can 
rest peacefully, knowing that God is pleased when  she acts like one of 
Sarah's daughters. 
Consider what this kind of  trust and submission looks like. Your husband has 
decided the family will travel  to visit an aging aunt who lives in the 
mountains. It's snowing. The roads are  slippery. You are tempted to worry, and you 
think it's a bad idea to go. Now  stop and think about it. Trust God. Is He 
the Lord of the roads? Is He Lord of  the weather? If He isn't, then go back to 
your worrying. But because He is  sovereign over all things, you can trust 
Him. Next, if you have given your  husband your advice, and he still wants to 
go, submit to him. It's his call.  Trust God, and submit to your husband. Rest 
and be beautiful. 
Many areas of marriage and  child rearing are affected by this trust and 
submission. Your husband wants you  to homeschool and you feel inadequate. Your 
husband wants to put your children  in the local Christian school. You're afraid 
they are not ready, or that the  school won't be what you hoped. Your 
daughter wants to go shopping with a friend  in a big city an hour away. Your husband 
says yes and you wish he hadn't. Your  son is playing football, and you are 
worried he will get hurt. In all these  situations, after respectful 
communication of your concerns, trust God and  submit to your husband. This is the only 
way to have a gentle and quiet spirit. 
Remember, submission is your  primary duty before God to your husband. Learn 
to submit in a trusting,  beautifying manner. Not only will God be pleased, 
but so will your husband. Even  unbelievers are impressed with such behavior 
(v.1). Learn to appreciate the two  hedges you have about you, and be thankful. "

 
 
Rose  Huskey

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight  you, then 
you win." Mahatma Gandhi
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