Clean Windows?

 I must 'fess up~~I copied this from a friend's FB status (with permission, of course!) Since I have been short on time as to entering my next segment from Colossians, I thought this sounded like something all of us gals could consider as we 'watch', and too quickly judge, others!

I trust you enjoy this~and, yes, you can share it with others too!

A couple moves into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the woman would make the same comments.

About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life.

What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look! 

....If we keep our thoughts pure and close to Jesus then the outcome will be much "cleaner"

....Cleaning windows here!

well?... (see Matthew 7:3-5...consider the beam in your own eye!)

Debbie

 

Lower the Red Flag!

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” Colossians 3:18.

Last week we discussed how this verse raises the red-flag of controversy in the hearts and minds of many women (and men, for that matter!) in today’s culture.

Over the next few weeks, we will look at this verse in light of the distinction of roles in God’s plan for our lives and the family. But first, with the help of authors Nancy Cobb and Connie Grigsby (The Politically INCORRECT Wife), Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Lies Women Believe), and Elyse Fitzpatrick (helper by design-God’s Perfect Plan for Women in Marriage), I would like to ease some fears and point out what this verse is NOT saying. [Please note that I will also be referring to these books throughout the next few entries about this topic].

SUBMISSION DOES NOT MEAN:

1.       …a sign of inferiority or insignificance-Genesis 1:27 teaches that both male and female were created in the image of God~equally. Passages such as Galatians 3:28 and 1 Peter 3:7 teach that God’s grace and salvation is offered to everyone (male and female)~ equally. Even in our recent study on Colossians 3:1-17 we read in verse 10-11 that there is no distinction as to who we are in Christ. The distinction comes in the roles God has designed for our lives, not in significance and importance.

2.       …we must agree with every suggestion made by our husbands. It does not mean that we cannot express our opinions or provide input regarding family decisions. As we shall see in weeks to come, our role as helpmeet encourages that interaction.  Please note, however, that is the husband’s role to make the final decision. Submission involves accepting that decision graciously.

3.       …we must give into every demand of our husband. The husband’s God-given role of authority is not unlimited in nature. Our ultimate authority is God Himself. Just as Peter stated in Acts 5:29, ‘we ought to obey God rather than man’. If a demand or request goes against God’s teaching, we must graciously and respectfully refuse. 

4.        …we should allow our husbands to take the place of Christ as our objects of worship. Submission does not permit our husbands to become an idol in our lives (Exodus 20:3). Our husbands are to lead and guide us as we worship Christ. Ephesians 5:33 states in some translations that the wife should reverence her husband. This is not teaching that we worship our husbands. It is better translated, that the wife should respect her husband. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)

5.       …the husband has a right to be a dictator or harsh with his wife. Although this series is primarily written to women, and we are focusing on Colossians 3:18 at the moment, it is important that we consider the teaching of verse 19 and Ephesians 5:25ff.

      …only wives are commanded to submit. As we shall see in weeks to come, scripture refers to numerous situations and relationships where submission is to take place~including Christ and His relationship to the Father!

So, take a deep breath~submission is not an ugly, terrible word that should create fear and controversy. Instead, it can be seen as “…a gift that we voluntarily give to the man we have vowed to love in obedience to the Savior we love…” (DeMoss’ quote of Susan Hunt, [The True Woman]).

I trust that next week we will begin to consider the roles God has designed for us and our families.

Go ahead and lower that red flag! 

Debbie 

Debbie

The Controversy

Well, ladies~~Here I sit~about to venture into the dangerous, dark waters of dealing with a ‘controversial’ passage.

My first thought, however, is, why do we label portions of scripture as ‘controversial’? Why are there ‘controversial’ passages? Have you ever considered the word controversial anyway? It has nothing to do with fact. There is nothing inherent in the verse that makes it controversial. It is the reader that determines the ‘controversialality’ of a passage~~not the verse!

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines controversial as ‘something that arouses opposing views’. When Paul (under the direction of God and the Holy Spirit) penned the words now known as Colossians 3:18 in his letter to the Colossians believers, he was not attempting to arouse opposing views. He was encouraging a group of young believers as to how God expected their new life in Christ to exhibit goodness, humility, patience, meekness, forgiveness, and love (you know, all those new outfits in our heart’s closet-[see late summer/fall archives]). He wrote these words to admonish a new Christ-like lifestyle in their home as well (Colossians 3:18-20).

His purpose was to teach, admonish, and motivate; not to arouse opposing views. 

So, it is the reader that has taken this verse and set out to arouse opposing views. WHY?

If we, as believers, accept the Bible as God’s Word; His love letters to His most precious creation, His instruction book for a living a Christ-like, joy-filled life…. If we accept the Scriptures to be God-breathed and without error… Why then do we consider this portion to be any different?

I am not setting out to try to diffuse the views of unbelievers. This is for those of us who have chosen, by our belief in Christ, to accept God’s Word as described above. Many who accept the above description of the infallible and inerrant Word of God, draw the line at Colossians 3:18. Why is that?

Many who proclaim that Christ rules their life, or proclaim “I will do whatever You want me to do, Lord” stick their palm in God’s face and say, ‘UNH, UNH God, I’m not doing that!”  Why?

Why is it that we can sing, “I Have to Decided to Follow Jesus”, but when He tells us that as part of agreeing to follow Him, we must follow our husbands~that He gave us~, we refuse and put up a fuss?

If you consider Colossians 3:18 to be a controversial verse-if you feel it arouses an opposing view in your heart, I trust you will think on the above thoughts this week, open your heart, and be willing to dig into this passage to consider what it is really saying.

Maybe it is because we don’t really understand what God was really telling us in this verse. Maybe we have replaced His intent with our own definitions and expectations?

Next week, we will hopefully ease some fears and consider some erroneous thoughts about the word submission and discuss what this verse DOES NOT mean before delving into what it does mean!

It's all or nothing, ladies!

Debbie