Mood:  a-ok

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18 New International Bible

What do you think that the above Bible verse means, and how do you apply it (if you do) in your household?

I have heard so many opinions on this controversial subject. Everyone seems to have a comment to make. Some women get angry at the very idea that the Bible seems to be saying that they aren't equal to their husbands. Some men seem to think that this means that their wives should be meek, submissive things that stay barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. Neither view is what I feel is a good view to take.

So many times folks seem to only focus on Colossians 3:18 and they don't bother to read any further. Let's review the key verse and the following verse:

 ¹⁸Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

 ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Enough has been said over the years about verse 18, but I want to talk a little about verse 19.

What does it mean for a man to love his wife? How would you want to be treated by someone who loved you? Would you want to be treated with respect? Would you want folks to be kind to you instead of harsh? Would you want people to ask your opinion rather than order you to do something? I think any man or woman would say yes to all three of those questions. I don't think that there is a verse in the Bible that would contradict any of those things. 

That's how I think that a husband should treat his wife. If a husband really obeys God's command to love his spouse, then he is going to treat her with respect and kindness and value her opinion. He isn't going to treat her like a subordinate.

God made each sex a special way. He created women with the necessity to be loved and to be shown love. Although both sexes need that, the woman probably has more of a need for that emotion than a man. I'm not talking just about sexual love, although that is part of it. A woman just needs to feel like she is cared for and loved.

In the same way, the man needs to feel like he is someone. He needs to feel worthy.  Again, I'm not saying that he should be treated like a king, but he needs to feel like he has made something of himself ~ he's accomplished something. That's something that a woman needs as well, but it is probably more so felt in a man. 

Now, I also know that some women do things that make them hard to love, and many men do things that aren't respectable, but those two things are things that I feel the two different sexes desire. 

It's kind of like the opposite of a vicious circle. It's a good circle. If the man treats a woman with true love ~ I mean he really loves and respects her, then a woman will do anything for her man. Doing anything for her man will only generate more love that her husband will give her. 

God created a man and a women to compliment each other. Not for one to dominate the other. He gave both sexes specific jobs and characteristics that will meld with their spouses characteristics to make one perfect unit. It's our own sinful desires and disobedience that makes the unit imperfect. If we truly followed the Bible and the guidelines it gives for each individual to follow, then a man and wife ~ nay, I say, the world would live harmoniously.

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