KIDS TALK ABOUT GOD
How can a wife submit to her husband?
By Carey Kinsolving and friends
(Part 1 of 2)
“Be nice, cook him food, do not talk back, and kiss him,” says Drew, 6.
Drew, have you considered life as a bachelor?
Cody, 8, has some thoughts on talking back: “Mom told Dad that bears did talk on the Discovery Channel. Mom argued that bears did not talk with words. Dad said they talked with sounds.”
Is this bearing one another’s burdens or just a spirited conversation?
No man in his right mind would marry a woman without opinions. Wives should never equate submission with passivity. But if your husband doesn’t agree with you, don’t pout. Let it go. Never resort to passive aggression. It cuts communication lines and erects barriers that lead to much bigger problems than the original disagreement.
“Wives should do most of the chores around the house, such as dusting, vacuuming, polishing, cleaning and window washing,” says Sean, age unknown. “Let your husbands have some time to themselves to watch the game and eat chips.”
Hmm. I wonder if Sean omitted his age to make it harder for a potential wife to identify his statements.
Many marriages might improve if guys pitched in around the house, and if women paid more attention to their husbands’ interests. Men would do well to lighten up on TV sports, increase conversation and decrease chip intake.
“Wives should submit to their husbands because they know what is right,” says Morgan, 7. “When a wife submits to her husband, she does it because she loves him.”
Morgan cites two reasons for submission: love and conviction. When a woman loves her husband, it’s easy to follow him. But what happens after an argument or when feelings are hurt? What happens when love for your husband seems like a distant memory and bitterness battles for your soul?
If a woman understands the biblical view of marriage, she’ll submit not primarily because of love or even respect for her husband but because she is honoring God by keeping the lifetime covenant she made on her wedding day. She’ll pray for her husband when he fails to love her as Christ loves his people. God will honor her faithfulness.
What if Jesus had failed to submit to his father’s will because he didn’t feel appreciated by the people for whom he died? Jesus established a new covenant when he died for our sins by which we receive eternal life. Would the new covenant hold any value if God divorced us every time we failed him?
Marriage represents something greater than love between a man and a woman. In God’s design, it’s a model of the union between Christ and the church, which is also known as the bride of Christ. In the Bible, the church consists of all who have trusted the Lord Jesus as their savior.
Think about this: God placed eternity in our hearts when he gave us a longing for intimacy. Submission is a beautiful thing, and it’s essential for intimacy in marriage and in relationship with God. Receiving the gift of eternal life by faith alone in Christ is itself an act of submission. We submit to the Lord Jesus as the author and finisher of our salvation when we trust him alone as our savior.
Memorize this truth: “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:24).
Ask this question: If the pizzazz has vanished from your marriage, can you trust God to show you ways to submit to your husband?
“Kids Talk About God” is written and distributed by Carey Kinsolving. To access free, online “Kids Color Me Bible” books, “Mission Explorers” videos, a new children’s musical, and all columns in a Bible Lesson Archive, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. To read journey-of-faith feature stories written by Carey Kinsolving, visit www.FaithProfiles.org.
