Ephesians 5:22-33 English Standard Version (ESV) Wives and Husbands 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.[a] 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.

I am not married and it is not on the horizon anytime soon. While I am hesitant to write on this passage, I am still commanded to look at this passage and glean from it what God wills me to. The attitude of submission is one that is not looked upon with favor in our society. As a Christian, I know that I should be submissive to those over me in authority, yet I find myself constantly battling them in my head or in real life. If I am to get married, I don't want to be constantly battling my husband. I am a sinner and there are many areas of my life a future husband will/should correct me on. I need to start cultivating a heart open too correction and willing to submit when God commands me to. I also am part of the church. Am I submitting to Christ as I should? No; therefore, I need to start changing my heart and earnestly seeking to have the same heart of my Savior. Paul is not trying to demine women here. He is trying to encourage men and women how to have a successful marriage. I want to submitt to my husband. I want my husband to love me. I want to show my husband how important he is in my life by letting him lead our family, but I also want him to listen to me the same way God listens to my prayers. I want my husband to correct me and encrouage me to become more Christ like, yet I want him to do it in such a way that I dont' resent his correction. I want to respect all men in my life. This includes doctors, father, grandfather, brothers in christ, and pastors. I also need to submit and respect Christ before I can sumbit and respect to the men in my life. Part of me respecting and submitting to God will might mean never getting married. Yet I know that God has a good plan in lfe for me. God wants good things for me and He wants good things for the church. I must work as part of that church to live in accordance with His will. I can also use this passage to seek out a godly husband. A godly husband will love, nourish, and cherish me as Christ commands.