The Alive Journal

Colossians 3:18-22 (New International Version)

Rules for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

Application

This passage can cause great confusion for modern readers as we lose much in the translation, not only through language, but through time. We hear the word submit and have a difficult time as we assume that Paul is placing women at a lower standard than men. However, this is not the case. The instruction here for submission is not about equality or non-equality. It is about the role of each individual within a marriage.

Perhaps to aide in understanding this passage, we can look at Jesus Himself. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is God. He is equal to the Father and Holy Spirit. However, Jesus’ role requires Him to submit to the Father. We can see this played out in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus says, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” Jesus could very easily have chosen not to go to the cross, but He submitted to the Father in order to bring salvation.

in the same way, submission here does not indicate inferiority, but rather a willingness of the wife in a positive way of deferring to her husband. Husband and wife are complimentary and make decisions together.

Husbands also are given a mandate here in loving their wives. In Ephesians, Paul writes that “Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.” Christ loved the church so much that He died in order to give her life. That’s the extent to which Paul is speaking here. When husbands are loving there wives to the extent of being willing to sacrifice their life, working together is never a question. As the husband offers himself fully and sacrificially, the wife will be willing to do the same.

The principle here in both of these prescriptions, as well as with children obeying their parents and slaves obeying their earthly masters, is a call to live not for yourself but for others. Paul is calling us to live a sacrificial life that has the needs of others in mind over our own desires.

Journal today about what that looks like for you. Is your life characterized by living for your needs, or are you focused outwardly on living sacrificially. Remember, no one’s reading this but you, take some time to really evaluate how you are living.