The Power of Submission

Submission is not a static character quality. It is a powerful, dynamic force that can actually influence an unbelieving husband. Look at 1 Peter 5:1 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives" (emphasis mine)

And if submission can have such profound sway over an unbelieving husband, imagine the influence it can exert upon a Christian husband who may not be obeying God's Word. Our submissive conduct actually provokes our husbands to be the leaders God intends for them to be.

For instance, have you ever had someone lean on you with his or her full body weight? What happened? Of course, your natural reaction was to exert the counter-pressure necessary to hold that person (and yourself) up. This is a picture of the effect of submission on our husbands. It places godly pressure on them. It allows them to feel the full weight of their responsibility. More often than not, they rise to the challenge.

As Elizabeth George eloquently expresses it: "Our submission to our husband--whether or not he is a Christian, whether or not he is obeying God--preaches a lovelier and more powerful sermon than our mouth every could!"

That's what it means to be a gospel wife.

--adapted from Feminine Appeal