Wives and Husbands (Eph 5:22-33)

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Submission is a tough word for our culture today, since many believe it means to be a slave.  From these verses, I get a totally different picture: " 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church".  Nowhere in history have I ever come across someone loving his slave the way he loves himself.  Christ also submitted to the Father - not as a slave, but to do His will because He knew that the Father loved Him dearly and knew what was for the best.  Therefore, to me, submitting means loving and respecting your husband so much that you're on the same wavelength, working together to serve God, yet trusting him that when we differ, unless it is shown to be against God's Word, my husband knows best, can see the big picture.

Christ loves, nourishes and cherishes the church.  Does the church always submit to Christ or do we often go our own way, think we know what's best, or even push our power?  Thankfully Christ will always make sure there is a Church, full of people (although still sinners) striving to worship Him!