a feminist who believes in submission, biblically.

     There are so many other, more important issues I could write about, that hurt my heart, that make me so angry my body shakes, but even for some reason this is a highly debated topic and I already wrote about it a couple years ago. When in conversations with others I have trouble articulating this point, but 

People are so beautiful and unique and created so wonderfully diversely. We were created with individual strengths, weaknesses, talents, and abilities. Not one person is created alike and I love that about the human race. 

I think this is why the anti-feminist/feminism is not biblical mentality really grinds my gears. I don't understand how someone can be lesser of a person because they are a women makes sense, how that thought or practice is loving. 

Up until the middle of college, I had always had a negative view of feminism. I laughed at people who though women could actually be leaders, who thought women would actually be equal to men.  But I  realized that  God made me and every other person, with a purpose and for a purpose. That women are the crown jewel of creation. That they are loved equally and are redeemed equally. I realized that women, in God's eyes are absolutely not lesser. 

     But then, there's that little verse in Ephesians about submission that throws everyone into a frenzy. 

(Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”)

There is such a taboo in society with the word submission, it has become a negative word.  But there is a juxtaposition between societies view of what submission is in relation to Ephesians 5:22  and what God’s example of what submission is. Submitting doesn't mean letting another person make all your decisions for you. It doesn't mean that the persons submittings opinion is invalid. It doesn't mean they're a lesser person. It's a matter of  Submission, in Greek (the language the actual bible was written in) is the word hupotasso, which means: “to place yourself under, to give allegiance to, to tend to the needs of, to be responsive to." The word hupotasso comes from two words: upo, meaning under, and tasso, meaning to place in order. It infers that submission is placing oneself under one another, out of “reverence of respect." Basically this means placing the needs of others ahead of her [or his] own, which is loving unconditionally. 

     This idea of unconditional love of God is woven throughout the Bible. Jesus says in John chapter fifteen that “greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friend." Jesus sacrifices his life for his creation, he surrendered everything. He placed the needs of others ahead of his own, he submits. 

In the same way, as Christ is the head of the church, the husband is the head of the marriage. He needs to be prepared and willing whole heartedly to sacrifice his life for his wife, to love and to submit to her. Not only do wives need to submit to their husbands; husbands also need to submit to their wives.

     But, submission is not a “one way street”. A relationship goes two ways. In order for a relationship to function healthily, each person (husband and wife, parent and child, friend and friend, etc.) need to put forth one-hundred percent of their allegiance, effort, and love. They cannot each give fifty percent, with the intensions of meeting half way, each of them needs to be in full surrender. Just as Christ was with his life, and just as the Church should be towards Christ.

    This isn't a feminist matter or a men are better than women matter, it's a loving people matter. It's a getting up every day and choosing to love people unconditionally. If we got this right, the world would be such a better place.