The only way life could get better is if my wife made me a sandwich whenever I asked

Wives submit to your husbands. This phrase can tick people off. Why should I have to submit? Why is this in the Bible? Why would God be against women? Why does man have this much authority over women? The questions over this simple verse can go on and on. Let me try to shed some light on this subject.

This is from Colossians 3:18 but I will go over 19 too, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord…Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

This is what the Message translation says in verse 18-19, “Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives, Don’t take advantage of them.”

It’s easy to look at scripture and manipulate scripture to say what you want it too. This is what Norman Geisler said in the Bible Knowledge Commentary about this scripture:

            “Wives are to submit to their husbands as their heads. This command was not limited to Paul’s day, as is obvious from two reasons he gave elsewhere: (1) the order of Creation (man was created first, then woman; 1 Tim. 2:13); (2) the order  within the Godhead (Christ submits to the Father; 1 Cor. 11:3). Submission or subordination does not mean inferiority; it simply means that the husband, not the wife, is head of the home. If he may be thought of as the “president,” she is           the “vice-president.”^[1] Of course there are moral limits to this submission; it is only as is fitting in the Lord. Just as obedience to government is commanded (Rom.13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13) but only insofar as government takes its place under God (Ex. 1; Dan. 3; 6), even so a wife’s submission to her husband is only “in the Lord.” That is, she is not obligated to follow her husband’s leadership if it conflicts with specific scriptural commands.^[2]

It has to follow scriptural commands. This doesn’t mean if I want a sandwich, Hailee better make it for me without any grief. I think the verse 19 is just as important, Geisler said:

            “Husbands are responsible to love their wives (as Christ loved the church; Eph. 5:28–29). So they are to exercise loving leadership, not dictatorial dominion. Perhaps husbands need this reminder to be tender and loving as much or more than wives need the reminder not to usurp authority over their husbands. Assuming absolute authority will only embitter one’s wife, not endear her. The words be harsh translate pikrainesthe, which is more literally, “make bitter.” (A     different word is used in Col. 3:21; see comments there.) Wives, like tender and sensitive flowers (cf. 1 Peter 3:7), may wilt under authoritarian dominance but blossom with tender loving care. So in a maturing marriage the husband exercises compassionate care and his wife responds in willing submission to this loving leadership.^[3]

I love the phrase happy wife, happy life. If we aren’t trying to make our spouses happy, how do we expect to be happy? Marriage is about sacrifice, looking for each other’s best interest instead of our own. Yes, husbands are called to lead, but lead like Christ leads the church. Having the greatest love and ability to sacrifice himself for the Church. We are supposed to do that for our spouse.

Everyday I grow more in love with my wife. She has been really amazing to me through the years and even more over the past couple of weeks. I really don’t know where I would be without her.

If we claim to be Christian, our life is supposed to be honoring God. This needs to happen in marriage too. What are you doing to honor God in your marriage? What are you doing to show love for your spouse?

Have a great day.

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^[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 683.

^[2] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 683.

^[3] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 683.

Ankle-ligament=problem

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Take out a 10 year old or take out the ankle? I was playing basketball at the Y years ago. We started a pickup game and it was mostly adults, but some kids came along we allowed to play. During the middle of the game, someone stole the ball on our team and was running down the court. I was trying to catch up running fast (Well pretty fast for me). Then one of the 10 year old boys ran cross court in front of me. I had two choices, plow this kid over or try to stop on a dime. I tried stopping. I missed the kid, but my ankle made a loud weird crackle that you hear from crumbling up newspaper or wrapping paper. I severely sprained my ankle that day.

It took over two months for my foot to heal. It’s amazing how the human body is wrapped together. You need multiple different parts in different sections to wrap together in order to properly work together. It’s the same with the church.

Colossians 2:2…

“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and untied in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.”

Paul was talking about people in a place called Laodicea that I believe we can apply today. Encouraged in heart, when was the last time you felt encouraged? When was the last time you encouraged someone else? Paul called for the people to be encouraged and united in love.

The word united is a Greek word meaning to bring together. This word also means to be a unit, unite or to combine. In Ephesians 4:16 it talks about this in regards to the body, united by bringing every ligament together. In this scripture it talks about being united in love.

I haven’t felt united in love for a while. Since being forced out of my previous church, I have had some bitterness towards some people since leaving it two years ago, that bitterness was still around. This weekend I went on spiritual journey called the Emmaus Walk. I highly recommend going on this walk. It brought to my attention the fact I was trying to walk in faith like I was walking on a sprained ankle and thinking I was fine. I wasn’t united in love and that was my fault.

It doesn’t mean that the situation is resolved. It does mean, I have forgiven those people and no longer have bitterness against the people that hurt me. What they do with that is between them and God, it’s out of my control. I am not going to be bitter about it anymore regardless.

An ankle can’t work correctly without ligaments tying it together and the church can’t function correctly with that love.

Who do you need to show love and forgiveness too? Who do you need to try and unite with today?

Have a great day.

Great nametags: Out of Order

One of the most fun jobs I had was as a student supervisor at Case Hall Café on MSU’s campus. There were so many awesome and fun people that worked there, going to work never felt like work. Student supervisors worked as almost middle management between supervisors, full time employees and part time employees. We had zero ability to control full time employees and this was okay. Everyone always did a great job working, but when it was slow we had fun.

It was one of these times we found the label maker for name tags/badges. So some friends and I started to create new nametags to wear around work. Some of the nametags we created…

Out of order

Ask someone else

On break

There were others but this is close to 14 years ago so my memory fades a little bit. So it was a slow Saturday and I was wearing my Out of Order nametag when a student approached me with a question. They started to say excuse me then looked at my nametag (At this point I forgot I was wearing this name tag). The person then started laughing loudly, gave me a nod then said I gotcha as they were smiling. They then walked to another employee and asked their question. This was great. I enjoyed my time working there. When I started working at MSU I wasn’t a Christian but gave my life to Christ during my time working there, looking back there were some moments I would regret.

Paul shares this in Philippians 1:27…

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for faith of the gospel.”

Sometimes in life I go for the quick joke without really thinking about whom I am affecting. The word manner that Paul uses means to act as citizen. We are supposed to control ourselves and maintain our obligations in relationships and to others as part of a community. I can miss the target completely in this area. The way this is put in The Message, “Live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ.”

Who or what are you trying to represent? Case Hall was a blast but I look back and think of all the times I went for a joke rather then thinking who I was truly impacting. I am trying to represent Christ in my life; I need to improve daily to be more like Christ.

Have a great day.

I got this

Somebody has to step up. In sports you look for that one moment when everything is on the line and someone steps up. In a movie you wait for the hero to overcome and defeat the bad guy. A term might come up from that person, “I got this.” Something is on the line and a person/hero has the ability to step up and do what is necessary. Whether in real life or a movie, it’s nice to have a go to person.

There was one point I was pretty down in life. I just didn’t really feel like I had much purpose at the time. Hailee got a group of people to come and encourage me and lift me up. In that case they got this. A group of people lifted me up in a rather dark time. Do you have someone in your life who is an “I got this person”?

This is Jesus. Listen to what Paul shares in Romans 8:2-3…

“Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”

Jesus got this. All your mistakes, errors and fault, Jesus got this. He covered those blemishes you like to hide. Jesus is the ultimate I got this. The Secret Service would take a bullet for the president, Jesus will take a painful death for you. What he did on the cross, he did for you.

If you feel down, alone, like something is missing in life, there is Jesus. We all need this in life, someone to take our place when something bad is going to happen. Jesus is amazing and in power. Even as sinners, he still has our backs. Is that something you need or feel like sharing?

An ultimate I got this guy. This is Jesus. Someone loves you so much they will lay down their life for you. Does this change your view or what you want to do with your life? I hope so in a positive way. Knowing that Jesus is there for me just gives me a level of comfort I can’t always describe. I am in awe of what Jesus did for us. He’s got this.

Have a great day.