Not a popular idea

Submission does not mean that we cannot express on opinion, with the right attitude (lovingly with my husband, respectfully with my boss / worker). It does mean that we discuss, and then I respect the decision made. Does every little thing require discussion? Not in our house. Any big things get discussed, but he has given me authority to look after certain areas of our lives. He looks after others. If he disagrees with me, I (try to)respect his opinion. I trust my husband, and I know he trusts God. I trust God to give my husband the wisdom he needs.
Prayer is also very important. I can pray for my attitude, my coworkers, those under my authority, and those in authority over me.

The example is of Christ who, although being God, set aside that "role" in order to fulfill the role his Father had for him. The trick sometimes isn't to be submissive, it is to not go too far the other way and think we're dirt. It's like the second we think we're being humble we're proud of the fact that we are humble. There has to be balance between being submissive and owning the God given position we have in Christ. I think that sometimes is harder for me to do than to "simply" have a submissive heart and attitude.

I agree totally with the instruction for obedience to your masters. My problem however is that by always speaking the truth fearlessly I have been placed in an uncomfortable position at work and actually believe that it may cost me my job in another few weeks. However I will not yield in speaking the truth fearleaaly but will readily agree that with a lot more tact my job would be more secure.

Obedience to our masters starts with first being obedient to god, he will always provide.

Please pray for me?

Not being submissive could represent that my heart is not humble. Whilst it may be human nature not to be submissive, it is not godly. I must therefore read His Word daily, seek His strength and ask Him to guide me so that I can really be in Him and He in me.
God always wants the best for us and I think He is sad when He sees that we do not trust in Him especially, after He has shown us before that we can trust in Him.

Eglon, I'll be praying for your job situation. Speaking the truth can be difficult sometimes, but it's always the right thing to do. Tami W.

I must believe that God is absolutely trustworthy and He only wants what is best for me, so that I can surrender myself to Him and become submissive. It is not always easy but the longer you live the more you learn you can trust that His ways are best and you will receive a blessing every time you are obedient. When I am submissive to the Lord it becomes easier to become submissive to my husband and others in authority over me, or has other have said have a more submissive attitude altogether.

Submission is an extreamly hard area for me. The afflictions of the past when I had no control over the situasions caused me to be a real control freak when I was able too, then after being saved this became a conflict deep inside. How was I ever going to submitt to something or someone I could not see, feel or touch? But then I begain to look at my past and see the times when God had been in control for my good in bad situations, answering the prayers of a wreachid man. I realized then that it was because he was looking at me as the man I would become, and not the man I was at the time. I still wrestle with submitting from time to time, but I know that God's timing is perfect; thus I also grow in my learning patients and faith.

Honoring and obeying your parents was always a hard thing for me until I became a parent and more committed to my father in heaven. Now I enjoy my parents, love them unconditionally and respect them in godly ways instead of how the world finds respect (money, education).

But now I need help with teaching my children, so they dont travel this misleading road. Submission is certainly easier when you under stand it.

Being submissive to your husband and being submissive to your boss are two totally different things. Submission to husbands includes all areas of your personal/spiritual lives. Submission to an employer only entails the work details during the hours that you are employed. For instance, we are forbidden to proselytize on the job. My co-workers know I am a believer because I share my viewpoints from a godly standard when we have discussions. However, I only try to evangelize with them when we are on personal time. It is inappropriate to leave leaflets, etc. on their desks because that is in the frame of "work" which is forbidden by company policy. That doesn't mean that I forget I am a child of God. While others may goof off and waste time when they are not being observed, I remember that I am being paid to work my 8 hours and I put in as much effort when my boss is present as when he/she is not. By doing that I am honoring my God and am hopefully setting a standard for my co-workers. Regarding submission to husbands, ladies, first of all be wise as to the man you choose to marry. If you respect him and trust him and know him to have a true heart for God while you are in a dating relationship with him, them submission after marriage should not be a problem. A man with the right heart and attitude will seek out your advice and opinions and will treasure them. He may have the ultimate say and at times you may not both be on the same page, but hopefully you developed enough trust for each other during your dating phase that you can put your faith in him. If you didn't do the right work upfront, then it may be much more difficult to trust husband and submit to him when you think he is wrong, and that is when you pray fervently and trust in the greatness of God for deliverance to bring and mold your husband into wisdom and discernment.

To Eglon, honesty is not always so black and white. The Bible's greatest commandment is to love. Sometimes we just have to shut up. Not everything we think or believe has to be expressed and not every confrontation needs to be addressed. Ask for God-given wisdom and discernment to learn to pick your battles and when you should/should not speak. i.e. if you learn your friend's husband is having an affair and you are certain of the facts, with gentleness you need to let her know. There are safety issues, emotional, physical, and spiritual issues involved. However, if your friend just had all of her hair cut off and she is thrilled with her new look, you don't tell her you liked it much better long and its a good thing that hair grows back. You just tell her that she is so cute and adorable. On the job, the only time that your honesty should reign supreme to that of your boss is if he/she is asking you to do something immoral and unethical. Other than that, you pretty much are being paid to support that person. If they are open to your suggestions, that is great. If not, you don't have the right to espouse your viewpoints all the time and to do so can make you a very difficult employee to work with. If you think that person is really heading the company into the wrong direction and you are qualified and equipped to really make that judgement, you can sometimes go over the head of that person if conscientiously you really believe you are doing it for all the right reasons. But just being argumentative so that you can have the last say and because you think you know best, that is not a good characteristic.

To be submissive is a tough issue .... and goes totally against human nature (as was already mentioned). But for the Christian it is a necessity, as we've surrendered our wills to the Lord and let Him sit on the throne of our lives and be in control.

To be honest - human nature is basically proud. To submit oneself is humbling. Between the 2 attitudes; I know Jesus would submit. So, if He's Lord of our lives, we need to do as our Lord and submit (sometimes we need to swallow our tongues, but submission is always the best way)

We do however, in certain cases, need to take a stand for what's right. Submitting to an ungodly decision is never right.

Being submissive doesn't make us any lesser, rather it shows our strenght of character. By being submissive we are able to fulfill God's plan for our lives. For example, honor your father and mother, so that it may be well with you and you may live long. And also God loves orderliness; thats why He has given us leaders in the church, our parents, our boss and the authorities to be submissive to.
How can we be submissive? This is the work of the HolySpirit in us. As we walk with the Spirit, He softens our heart.
Finally, it might look like we are submissive to a man but the truth is, we are actually submissive to God.

When I think of submission, I do not think of it as making myself inferior to another person and allowing someone to "walk over me". I think of it as God's plan for my life, how I react to others, how I plan my reactions to others. This is how I witness to others through submitting to God's word, knowing it and then acting upon it. Walking by the Spirit allows me to be submissive no matter what the circumstances are or who I am dealing with. God is in control which allows me to view it as being submissive to Him.

I also feel when in a situation needing to be submissive, my true character shows forth. Pressures a continuing opportunity for others to view your true character. God asks us to be servants - the true test of a servant is if I act like one when I am treated like one.

I believe this passage refers to more than simply submission. It also tells us we should be content to do God's work no matter where He has placed us. Being a slave is not where any of us would choose to be, however, the Bible tells us to serve our master willingly knowing that God will bless us for our efforts.

Beautiful comments guys! Ihave not always been the submissive type, i love to be heard and get my way every now and again, but then God's words commands it and i have to now be submissive to the will of God. If as Gods children we are called to live holy ,righteous lives then our lives have to be line up with the will of God. I can say its not easy to submit but we can ask God to help us to be humble and have the willingness to allow him to mold us into the persons he has called us to be and he will certainly do it for us.

Thanks Tami, That's something I face all the time. We as humans have to learn to submit to something are someone in our life at some point are another. #1 is GOD,The Law,Our Spouses according to in the order of God's way of submission on husbands and wives,Our parents and our Jobs, etc. I find in order for me to do this, I must stay in the Lord,I must be a women after God's own heart first. I must think and feel that at all times, if I'm to even have a chance of ever being able to do this in the way God would have me to do. I have to stay in his present at all times, so when the situation arises,God give me the wisdom to know what to do and when to do it. Sometimes I have to do a stop,look and listen to the situation around me, by this time, I'm given the answer on what to do from the Lord. He always makes away for me. I call it the 3,4,5 or maybe the 10 second rule. That helps me. If I just submit to God at all times, I then can to submit to whatever it is I'm to submit to at the time. It's an everyday,24hr thing that I have to apply to my life. Only in God the father, can I do this, It's not me, But the LORD!

I appreciated reading all the comments. It's hard for me to submit to someone I don't respect. We have a leadership issue at work. It's very hard for me to submit to this particular person in leadership because he is harrassing me (and others also). Fortuntately I have a great supervisor who supports me. That makes it easier. If it's nothing illegal or immoral then we should just submit and do our jobs the best we can. After all, we are to work as if we're working for God. Sometimes it's easier said than done.

I think the bast way to have and keep a submissive manner is to be humble. I actually feel safer being submissive to Jesus as i feel more under his wing.... kinda like being under a parents care and verses being on your own.

I understand about being submissive and how important it is. Life does get in the way. I work as a facility attendant and part of my job is putting out magazines for members to read as they exercise. Gossip and other magazines with women posed suggestively and such. This bothers me enormously and I'm starting to refuse to put those out because I know this is not right with God. I believe this is part of being submissive to God.

Tami, Why do you keep picking on me? LOL!! This week you have been really hitting home with the questions you have posed. This is a hard one for me. Submission - Okay, I got it typed. :-)

A little background into my employment situation, I worked for three years alone in my department. The person that I reported to was hands off. The only interaction we had was when there was an audit. (I process payroll for a living.)

Fifteen months ago, after the company was sold, I received a supervisor. She evicted me from the office that I held because it was bigger. She ordered me to take my tag line off my email (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). She told me my radio was too loud and needed to be closer to me because the radio shows that I listen to are offensive. (I listen to Christian radio i.e. Back to the Bible, Charles Stanley, R. C. Sproul and John MacArthur to name a few.) I have been written up for something that she was well aware of, but instead of making excuses and pointing the finger at others, I admitted my mistake and corrected the issue. (The error didn't cause anyone financial harm.)

I list all that to say, I have learned to submit to my earthly "master" and remember that I don't work for her. I work for the Lord! I praise Our Lord and Savior every chance I get and often. I thank God that I have a job and I have lots of people to pray for. I learned that sometimes I need to be still and quiet. I do what I do because God has shown me through trials that He is with me. I won't do the Kingdom any good by acting like the world. I maintain my "walk" reflecting my "talk" no matter what I have to deal with while I am here. Reading my Bible while in my car for prayer and lunch doesn't hurt either.

Wow, I must really need to hear this submission & get a hold of it. Because every radio bible study I'm hearing is on this subject. I clearly see that I am to submit to my husband as I would to the Lord. (Christ & the Church)I know that I haven't been looking at it that way, therefore I haven't be submissive to my husband. I pray that I can constantly remember my part so that things will go well in my home.

submission, shows that you are a God fearing person. if you are submissive to God,definitely, you will be submissive to everyone you need to respect.what borders me is that when you are submissive to some people,they always try to ride you.well, if God say i should be submissive, then i will.

Sometimes it is hard to be humble with an unbelieving husband. Please pray I will always remember the presence of the Lord and will be kind and loving to my family with an attitude of grace in my response to demands. I need prayer from other believers. I can do nothing on my own. Thanks be to God! In Christ and through Him my prayers are with you for your continued faithfulness to His WORD!

Mary, thanks for sharing your prayer requests. I'll bring both of those items to God in prayer. Tami W.

Working in a school setting I see first hand how Satan is taking our children from us by removing their submissive spirit. We, as adults, have allowed this to happen by binding the hands of our teachers and administrators. Our children are being taught to stand up to those in authority over them, which carries over into their work environment, their marriages and even into their Christian faith.