Submit and Obey

Colossians 3-Part 6
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.     Colossians 3:17


LET IT GLOW


While in high school, I was sent to Girls State convention as our representative. Maybe I was chosen because my achievements met the criterion or because my father was a World War II veteran. At any rate, I represented my school, town, and local auxilliary of the VFW, Veterans of Foreign War. Whose representative am I now? Paul tells shows us in verse 17.

Liberty Bible Commentary states:

Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. In all relations of life, act as His representative, obeying His word, trusting in His power, and devoted to His service. We should live Christ-centered lives. All of the life must be Christian; belief relates to behavior; creed issues in conduct; and doctrine relates to duty.

How do I represent Christ to the world around me?


LET IT GROW

My Christian commitment affects every area of life, including the family. Naturally, Paul addressed the Christian responsibilities in this area in verses 18-21:

• Wives submit to own husband.
• Husbands, love your wife and don't be bitter against them.
• Children obey your parents in all things.

What is the result if this is followed?

• Wives honor the Lord.
• Husbands love their wife without causing them to be irritated or resentful.
• Children please the Lord.
• Fathers encourage their children.

According to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, submit means to subject one's self, to obey, to submit to one's control; fit refers to duty, as was fitting; obey means to harken to a command, be obedient unto; bitter means exasperate, to embitter, render angry, indignant, irritated.
Embitter means make resentful, in Webster's Dictionary.

David Guzik says it this way:

As is fitting in the Lord does not define the extent of a wife's submission. It does not define the limit of a wife's submission. It defines the motive of a wife's submission. It means, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands because it is a part of your duty to the Lord, because it is an expression of your submission to the Lord." They submit simply because it is fitting in the Lord to do it. It honors God's Word and His order of authority. It is part of their Christian duty and discipleship.

Shaunti Feldhahn, in her book, For Women Only, concuded through surveys of men: 
*A man deeply needs the woman in his life to respect his knowledge, opinions, and decisions-what I would
  call his judgment.
*Women hold an incredible power in the way we communicate with our men to build them up or to tear
   them down, to encourage or to exasperate.
*Dozens of men told me how painful it is when their wives cariticized them in public, put them down, or even
  question their judgment in front of others.  
*Men need respect in our assumptions-that he needs reminding, he chooses not to help in a situation, that it's
  his fault it happened.
*A man's heart is powerfully touched by a few simple words: "I'm so proud of you."


Am I submitting unto my own husband? When I do so, I am honoring God's Word and His order of authority.


LET IT GO

Represent Christ to my best ability.

Submit to my own husband.