“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

Ephesians 5:21-25

The Bible is called the living word for a reason because it lives within every person who reads it. I also believe that the meaning of verses changes as we read them in different stages of our lives.

Let’s take Ephesians 5:21-25 as an example. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

If you were engaged and getting ready to be married what might your perception of these verses be? As a wife, I am supposed to submit to my spouse in every way. The man should be the head of the household.

Now let’s look at something from perspective. I am supposed to submit to others because I respect God. That includes my spouse, my boss, and others around me.

If we put ourselves in an older person’s shoes their perspective might be. That the man and woman are to work together in everything they do. Just as Christ worked with the people so should both members of the marriage should be willing to lay down their life for the other.

While none of these are wrong, I have a different perspective as I read these. It clearly states that wives are supposed to submit to their husbands as the leaders of their households. It also clearly states that Husbands are supposed to love their wives just as Christ loved those around him (the church).

One question that I asked myself was, what good is a head without a body? And vice versa what good is a body without a head? Both parts of the marriage have to work together to truly succeed.

Who knows maybe my perspective is completely wrong too. The great thing about the bible is that as long as we read it with God in our hearts then we are doing it for the right reasons. Its supposed to change perspectives as we grow in our relationship with God.

Have you ever read the same verse multiple times and discovered a different meaning?

Prayer

Lord, today we come to you asking that you guide us to the verses that we need. Not necessarily the verses we want but the ones we truly NEED. we want to that you for helping us to better understand as we continue to read your word.

Please open our eyes to the meaning you need us to see today.

Amen