A Wife’s Submission to Her Husband is NOT Oppression
Written By Gabriel Hughes
The Proverbs 31 woman I rarely see in a feminist. Okay, I’ve never seen the Proverbs 31 woman in a feminist. The feminist is far too full of herself. But a woman who fears the Lord, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and she does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:25-28).
The Proverbs 31 woman is a wife and a mother who loves her husband and children, works at home, and is submissive to her husband, “that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5). If that sounds awful and oppressive to you, you have no joy in Christ. A wife’s submission to her husband is not oppression — it is the delight of her heart, a willful obedience to God as a picture of the way the whole church is to submit to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24).
Likewise, it is a joy for a woman in the church to humble herself before God, heeding the roles God has designated for men and those He has designated for women. Whether a wife, mother, or single, it is a woman’s pleasure to follow in quiet submission and not rebel against what God has ordained.
Furthermore, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that women grow in godliness and holiness. Listen to the preaching of the word, and do what it says. Your selfish frustration in reading “quietly with all submissiveness” will cause you to miss the instruction “let a woman learn!” A strong woman of God is supposed to be a woman educated in the ways of God. Feminists hate this. They don’t want women to be strong in the faith. They want them to be weak (2 Timothy 3:6). Strong women aren’t easily manipulated by their lies — the same lies of that ancient serpent who hissed at Eve, “Did God really say…?”
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1 Timothy 2:11
*You can read the rest of this article “Bad Examples of Women Pastors” HERE. It is excellent!
9 thoughts on “A Wife’s Submission to Her Husband is NOT Oppression”
I wish more women would be more devoted to their husbands! I hate the double standard where the wife can demean belittle and deride her husband behind his back and no one bats an eye or think that’s wrong and cruel! Same for children too! The modern feminist mom can rant all she wants about how much her kids are an inconvenience and how glad she is to get away to have “me time” instead of seeing her greatest joy in raising them, and tending to her husband! The radical feminist prefers a weak man she can step over and belittle with no resistance and society tells her she’s empowered rather than being immoral. You’ve heard of “toxic masculinity”, but there is a reverse: toxic femininity! The toxic militant, strident “girl power” narrative of hating men, resenting children all while trying to be a man in all buy chromosomes! Where are the wives to love their husbands, and not deride him behind his back and love not resent their own progeny! Imagine the outrage if a husband badmouths his wife behind her back! Society finds that unacceptable and he is labeled a lousy husband and a pig yet when she does it to him, she’s “empowered”…Sad! When I marry, I’ll vow to honor my husband, not deride him!!!
Oh how I wish there was more teaching on this subject. It’s not a popular to talk about submission in church anymore and if it’s mentioned then women have hissy fits over it. I thank the Lord He is working on my heart and lately I’ve been tested and oh it’s been hard. I’m learning too that I need to also make sure I’m submitting willingly in my heart and not grumbling in my mind.
Thank you Lori for posting Gabriel’s article.
You’re welcome, Regina!
Wow! Incredible article.
?
Ironically whenever I’ve asserted my will (even when I’ve been “right” on financial matters or such) it has always gone wrong. I don’t beg/plead or nag for my will to be done at all anymore because it has NEVER gone well, or as well as it would have if I’d left things alone. Sometimes it may be in the long run but it always comes back to bite me. For example when I was first married I asserted that my husband didn’t dress to my standards. Now he spends more money on clothes than I would ever dream of doing so myself and it’s all because I couldn’t leave well enough alone.
So even when I don’t want to submit, I want to submit. The times I’ve submitted willingly and lovingly even when I thought my husband was wrong has always always turned out for my benefit. Even on the rare occasions that my husband makes a mistake he always feels worse about it than if I had forced my way and he learns better from his own mistakes than my nagging him (or “keeping him from making them”).
If I could go back in time and give my newly married self advice it would include to submit to my husband cheerfully in all things as I would to God because ultimately I’m really submitting to and relying on God. That my husband’s “bad” decisions will only be rectified by him and God and my sweet behavior not by my grabbing the reins. That through the years my husband would become an even better husband and man if I got out of the way of God and let Him take care of any “training”, “correction” or whatever else I thought my husband needed.
“through the years my husband would become an even better husband and man if I got out of the way of God and let Him take care of any “training”, “correction” or whatever else I thought my husband needed.”
Wisdom talking here!!!
Your article speaks of wisdom. A Christian wife by submitting to her husband is first of all submitting to the Word of God.
Think about that for a moment. She then is putting her trust in the One who created all things. Think about that too. He will deal with her husband. Oh what a joy it is to understand the wisdom from above. Take care.
I am submissive to my husband because I choose to honour Christ (as you said) and fulfill my role as his help-meet. I didn’t used to be submissive (or a Christian) so someone can’t try to say that I don’t know any better, don’t understand what I’m doing or am being forced into oppression. I’m no oppressed, I’m not confused or have only known life this way. I CHOOSE submission.
Thank you so much for sharing this. All of your wisdom and words are honey to this new wife’s heart. I also wish there was more teaching on this!