Marriage becomes a war zone. “And they lived happily ever after” doesn’t happen all that often. Marriage is simply difficult.

1-The Patriarchal Perspective.

2-The Egalitarian Perspective.

3-The Complementarian Perspective.

(1) Submission does not mean that men are superior to women.

(2) Submission does not teach that men have power and women do not.

Look at it this way, marriage is like a dance, like dancing the Tango or Salsa. You can’t be fighting for who leads in a dance. And leading—in a dance—isn’t about POWER.

“a helper fit for him”=Ezer Kenegdo=helpmeet, or helpmate; but the context is really A WARRIOR PRINCESS!

(3) Submission does not teach that women don’t have a voice.

On this topic, and on every topic, we need to have Biblical discernment. The teaching that men are superior to women is a trojan horse. The denial of gender is a trojan horse. The objectification of women that men are often guilty of is a trojan horse. The ridicule of masculinity, often seen in Hollywood, is a trojan horse.

What we learn from Gethsemane.

(1) This was a voluntary submission; no one made Jesus submit to the Father. He chose to.

(2) This was an act of love and trust.

(3) Jesus was passionate. He was NOT voiceless.

(4) This was not an act of weakness, but of POWER.

3 questions-

(1) What do you THINK of your husband?

(2) What do you say TO your husband?

(3) What do you say ABOUT your husband?

(1) Pray for him.

(2) Cultivate appreciation in your heart for him.

(3) Tell your husband about the ways you do respect him, not why you do not.

(4) Encourage him. Tell him he can do it.