What’s Your Problem with Submission?

What’s your problem with submission? Why do people make such a big deal about it?

Ever since I was a young girl I’ve heard people, both men & women, talk about submission, but each side had a radically different take on it. So, let’s start with the biblical definition of the word submission and how it was used.

That’s probably the first problem with the word submission, most people have been using the definitions of others as their own instead of going to God.

Here we go.  In the New Testament where the word “submit” is used, it’s translated from the Greek word “hupotasso”.  The “huppo” part means “under” & the “tasso” part means “to arrange”.  This word & its root are also translated by the words “subject” & “subjection”.  Therefore, its full meaning is as follows: to obey, put under, be subject to, submit oneself unto, put in subjection under or be under obedience or obedient to. The word submission was used as a military term meaning “to arrange troop division in a military fashion under the command of a leader”.

Submission is the perfect word to describe how we are to position ourselves to God as we interact with God.  It means to arrange yourself under the command of God’s divine viewpoint instead of your own viewpoint, or anyone else’s, no matter what that viewpoint may be. Submission is the process of surrendering your will over to God’s will because you admit that God is smarter than you.

Now I know that none of this is news to you & you’ve heard it all before.  So since we know submission to God & His ways are required for the best life, why do you still struggle with it & fight against it?

The fact of the matter is we actually practice submission all the time.  We submit to various laws of the land.  We submit to authority figures like our bosses & the police just as we are instructed in Romans 13:1-2 (esv); Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  The bible also talks about the submission requirement in Titus 3:1 (esv); Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, & in Hebrews 13:17 (esv);Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.  We don’t have a problem not cussing out a cop or our boss! But we love to cuss out everybody else! I know this one first hand. We also practice submission to our parents & we demand submission from our own children & we’ll beat the hell out of them if they defy us right? (smile)  How about our submission toward authority figures in churches?  We treat the Pastor like he’s our King.  That’s why cults are so popular.

This leads us to the root of our problem with submission.  I can sum it up with one word – abuse!  History shows that people have & continue to abuse the authority given to them.  We should also check within ourselves to see if we’re doing the same thing with the authority we have been given.

The abuse that worries us a lot is the abuse of authority within our personal or romantic relationships.  Yes, both men & women have used submission as a weapon against their partners, more notably men toward women.  Abuse of any kind is demonic in nature & should never be tolerated no matter who is doing it!

However, there is great power made available for those who submit to God like James 4:7 (esv); Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, tells us.  As you can see, we are required to obey God via submission no matter what others are doing.

We may be required to submit to God & the authority He has placed over our lives, but we are NOT required to let anyone, no matter their title, abuse us.  No one can do anything to you that you don’t allow them to do.  So we can’t let the threat or possibility of abuse keep us from submission to God & then to each other.

 Personally, I blame Eve.  Check out her punishment for her part of the sin in the garden in Genesis 3:16 (msg); He told the Woman: “I’ll multiply your pains in childbirth; you’ll give birth to your babies in pain.  You’ll want to please your husband, but he’ll lord it over you.”   I think women have been paying for her mistake since then.  But I digress – in spite of all of that, I have chosen to live my life as a submitted woman of God!  I practice submission first to God, then to those in authority in & over my life, then I practice submission to my husband & then I submit to you.

Yes I said it, I submit to my husband, as he submits to God.  I even practice submission to you as God directs!  That’s what being a good “servant-leader” is.  We’ll talk about that one later.  So, again I ask you, what’s your problem with submission?