Nuggets
- We are called to put others first.
- We aren’t supposed to live just for ourselves.
- We to mutually submit to each other because that is what Jesus would do.
We are familiar with the wives-submit-to-your-husbands and husbands-love-as-Jesus-loved-you verses. We generally skip over Ephesians 5: 21, though. This devotion looks at what attitude we are to have regarding others.
Not too long ago, my Ladies and I were studying Titus. Paul has a couple of verses there that centered on the wives-submit-to-your-husband theme.
Now, we are in Ephesians, and that theme comes up again. Since we talked about that for several devotions, I want to focus on Ephesians 5: 21.
To read devotions in the Marriage Roles series, click the appropriate button below.
Who Is Supposed to Submit?
“Be subject to one another …” (Eph. 5: 21 RSV)
Many times, we are programmed to want to be our own boss. But unless we own our own businesses, we generally do have an employer that we have to follow their policies and procedures.
But how many times have we trash-talked our supervisors? We’ve even trashed-talked co-workers — our betters, equals, or inferiors — who are just trying to help us with a project. At times, we can trash-talk anyone who does not bear our own name.
But look at this verse. “Be subject to one another …” (Eph. 5: 21 RSV). Most of the translations I use have some version of “submit to one another …” (Eph. 5: 21 NIV). The Contemporary English Version is the only one that says something different. “… put others first” (Eph. 5: 21 CEV).
Really, isn’t that what we are called to do — put others first?
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4 CSB).
“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other” (Rom. 12: 10 NLT).
“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (I Jn. 4: 7-8 GNT)
“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (I Cor. 10: 24 ESV).
What all this means is we aren’t supposed to live just for ourselves. Remember when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment? What did He say?
“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ And he [Jesus] said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets’” (Mt. 22: 36-40 NKJV).
Subject — submit — honor — love. The way I see it is, subject, submit, and honor is what we do. Love is why we do it.
When we subject or submit ourselves to others, we put their wants and needs before our own. Oh, yeah. We could argue and get our way — and yes, we do have to get our way sometimes. But there does have to be a balance.
Well, on second thought, honor could probably go either way. Submitting ourselves to others is honoring them — which is the what. We honor them because we consider them more important than us — which is the why.
Underlying all of that is the love. We elevate their status in our eyes because we love them. We are concerned for their happiness and wellbeing because we love them.
What? You think that makes you a doormat or something? Look at the verse again.
“Be subject to one another …” (Eph. 5: 21 RSV emphasis added).
Did you see it? I am submitting to you and you are submitting to me. I am putting you first, and you are putting me first.
How does that change relationships? That means who is right and who is wrong is not as important. It means the piddly stuff stays piddly.
Ooo, baby. How would our world change if everyone lived like that! Don’t you think we would be able to be more unified? (And that is one of Paul’s themes in Ephesians.)
Why Are We Supposed to Submit?
“… out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5: 21 RSV)
Why are we to submit to each other? Because that is what Jesus would do.
In fact, Jesus’ whole life was submission to God. Jesus came to live on this earth for one reason — to be the substitute to pay for our sins. He gave His life so that God’s plan of salvation for us could be accomplished.
So what did God do? Stick Jesus off in some corner of heaven after He ascended? No way.
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3: 1 CSB).
I would say that at the right hand of God would be a place of honor.
So, there is nothing wrong with submitting. There is nothing wrong with putting others first.
“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Rom. 8: 34 ESV).
In the King James Version, “… out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5: 21 RSV) was translated “… in the fear of God” (Eph. 5: 21 KJV). We talked about that before.
Instead of terror, the fear of the Lord is reverence and love. We should submit to each other because of our love for God. Doing so would honor Him.
Making the Connections
We are talking mutual submission here. I think that bucks the worldview again. Why? I think too many people are more interested in themselves and what they want.
I think some are just not interested in giving others what they want or need. They just want to be left alone to do their thing.
This isn’t biblical. “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Gal. 5: 13 NLT).
In this verse, there is no qualification as to whom we should submit. But we have to remember who Paul’s audience was. He was writing the letter to the church at Ephesus.
I think Paul was definitely advising the Ephesians to submit to fellow believers. I think Paul was also talking for subordinates to submit to those in authority.
I have been battling in my mind how much Paul wanted disciples to submit to non-believers. We can not compromise our beliefs.
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I do think we have to show non-believers Jesus in us. We have to show them the Father’s love.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to love others. That means we have to replace pride with humility. When we are the people in authority, we have to be servant leaders.
God wants us to honor Him through the way we treat others. He wants us to share His love with them.
Loving Heavenly Father. You built Your church so that we would be a community. You instilled within us a desire for fellowship. Help us to submit to each other. May we honor each other — and You — by loving each other. Amen.
What do you think?
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