"One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment.' " Matthew 22: 35-38


I know it's a weird passage to start this post with, but I find it to be appropriate because we tend to forget what being a Christian really means. It means to love God with all our inner being and to allow Him to transform us completely into new creatures set apart from the culture, customs, and ideas of the world we live in. It means being forgiven for our past and striving to be Christ-like in all that we do since Christ has stripped away our sins and has given us a new life to live.


What does this have to do with the idea of submission? Everything. The bible commands women to acknowledge God's authority in a variety of ways that seem very demeaning to us (although, they're not and actually lift us up) and therefore, it's difficult to follow. Yet, if we love God with all our inner being, and we know God is our Father constantly providing for us, why wouldn't we have the faith to obey His commands?


What kinds of commands are we given as Christian women and overall, as Christians?


"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12: 12


"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:13


"Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse." Romans 12:14


"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12: 15


"And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut or shaved off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head." 1 Corinthians 11:5-6


"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says." 1 Corinthians 33-34


"Do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 14


"If someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore them gently. But watch yourself, or you may also be tempted." Galatians 6:1


"Be completely humble and gentle, bearing in one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3


"In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26-27


"Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29


"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."Ephesians 5:19-20


"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands at to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which the Savior. Now, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:21-24


"Honor your father and mother-which the first commandment with a promise-that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Ephesians 2-3


"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10


"Do everything without complaining or arguing," Philippians 2:14


"Test everything. Hold onto the good. " 1 Thessalonians 5:21

"I also want women to dress modestly with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." 1 Timothy 2:9-10

"If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need." 1 Timothy 5:16

"Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with a pure a heart." 2 Timothy 2:22

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments , because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." 2 Timothy 23-24

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach the what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God." Titus 2:3-5

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."2 Peter 4:16

"Do not love the world, or anything in the world. If anyone who loves the world , the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

"But you, my dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 1:2--21

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I am surely with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Why do females lack the faith to follow God's commands? We have our roles in the church that are no less important than the roles men have. Sometimes, these roles are exactly the same, or similar in essence.
It's just worded differently, or modified, but nonetheless, no less important.

We are spiritual leaders in our own right for we are charged to teach other women and our children what is right and holy by God, share the gospel with the lost, and be an example to others. We are to be holy, kind, sincere, hospitable, peace making, self-controlled, modest, humble, loving, supportive, hard-working, forgiving, understanding, wise, encouraging, patient, faithful, cheerful and willing to do God's Will. Are we being suppressed as we do these things?

I feel many women miss the point of the commands that are given to us as women and Christians. They were not created to suppress us or put a man's authority over our heads like we were slaves. Although man has distorted and has used verses to suppress women, God never intended for His commands to be taken that way. Every time a verse is specifically delegated to us there is always verses following talking about man's responsibilities. One example is men have the responsibility to acknowledge that man needs woman and the two are meant to both submit to God and submit to each other out of reverence for God. God has the ultimate authority.

In fact, everything we do, from being covered modestly in worship to showing respect to our own respective husbands (or Christian men, in general), is to show we acknowledge God's ultimate authority in our lives including the mercy and grace He has bestowed upon us with the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, who himself was God in the flesh. Yet, even he submitted to God as the ultimate authority.

So why do we lack faith and find a word like submission taboo and dirty? Should we not trust God that if we fulfill all our roles as Christians, He will bless us and provide for us? He has already given us the ultimate gift of salvation....

"And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6