Walk in Humility, Rejecting the Idolatry of Power

Opening Prayer:

Son of David, in our fallenness and sin, power is often exercised to abuse and exploit others, as you experienced. We exalt ourselves, claiming superiority of gender, race, or social status. Paul counters all these marks of the idolatry of pride and power with his requirement that those who are filled by your Spirit should submit to one another for your sake. Such mutual submission and reciprocal love is to be expressed in our marriages, families, and socio-economic relations. Amen.

Reflection:

We particularly and urgently call Christian husbands to observe the balance of responsibilities in Paul’s teaching about husbands and wives. Mutual submission means that a wife’s submission to her husband is to a man whose love and care for her is modeled on the self-sacrificing love of Jesus Christ for his Church. Any form of abuse of one’s wife – verbal, emotional or physical – is incompatible with the love of Christ, in every culture. We deny that any cultural custom or distorted biblical interpretation can justify the beating of a wife. We grieve that it is found among professing Christians, including pastors and leaders. We have no hesitation in denouncing it as a sin, and call for repentance and renunciation of it as a practice.

Closing Prayer:

We long to see all Christian husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, living out the Bible’s teaching about ‘submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ’. We pray that pastors would help believers understand, honestly discuss, and practice the mutual submission that you require of your children towards one another. In a world of greed, power, and abuse, you call your church to be the place of gentle humility and selfless love among its members. Amen.

Ask God to pour out his Spirit to stir us with a vision for Kingdom impact in every sphere of society.