Submit to one another
The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:4
Yikes! This is not a popular message in today’s society. Women do not like to have someone in authority over them, generally speaking. Likewise, men do not either for that matter. People of today’s world largely believe that the main goal in life is to take care of yourself and always have your own best interest in mind. It is a common belief that no one is ever going to care for you the way you do, so that is your main objective in life. . . . Looking out for #1! There are several problems with taking on that mentality, though. First of all, the main reason people look for love is to find someone that will love them above themselves. Everyone wants to find that perfect person who is all about their mate’s agenda and not having their own selfish plans. Yet how many are willing to love the other person in the relationship more than they do themselves? It is quite a dilemma.
Today’s scripture talks about a husband-and-wife relationship but is not limited to that. It really goes beyond every relationship in life, yet at the very least should start with marriage. It says that when two people unite together in marriage, they are to willingly submit every area of their lives to each other. This passage says that the wife belongs to the husband and the husband belongs to the wife. It is almost like your salvation. When you get saved, you are not your own any longer, you belong to the Savior and His salvation belongs to you! This is why the apostle Paul compares marriage and the body of believers with Christ Jesus in other books that he wrote. The bottom line is that for any relationship to work, you must look out for other’s needs before your own and especially in marriage. Your marriage will only be truly successful when you learn this truth. In a relationship where two people are both looking for the perfect person to have the perfect relationship, they are sure to find disappointment because there is no one perfect starting with yourself.
So how do you give authority over your spouse? Simply by submitting all things to them and never covering up and hiding things from them. Recognize that the commitment you made is to surrender all to that person and then consider their wants, desires and needs above your own and not out of obligation, but out of the deep love that you have for one another. If she knows that He is looking out for her best and He knows that she is looking out for Him, the trust in that relationship will thrive and flourish for as long as the two live. The only thing left to do is to thank God each day that you have been given the opportunity to love one of His children and do it well!
Today I want to encourage you if you are married or getting married to make a fresh commitment to submit to one another. Decide that you are going to make your mate’s agenda top priority. Begin to work together to accomplish the things that God has put in your heart to do. Start with your own family and come into agreement on bringing your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Get into a group or study at your church on how to love each other and your family in a way that is more honoring to God. He is wanting to bless you in a greater way, so He set up the principles that will get that blessing to you. This is not a scheme God made up to try to control or make you do something you do not want to do, but it is a PLAN to give you the most fulfillment and satisfaction in life. Trust Him today and love others above yourself. Only then can you expect the blessing of God to flow over you on a daily basis.
Today’s scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;
9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.
13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
The Daily Dose 