Equal value and dignity

The last Chapter of Carolyn Mahaney's book "Feminine Appeal" deals with submission. Yesterday we took a look at what the word means from its Greek origins and from God as the original model of submission in the Trinity...today we will look at it from its Biblical origins.

Carolyn quotes Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them".
She writes, "Here we find that both male and female are created in the image of God...God establishes that man and woman are equal in value and dignity in His sight. A conviction of our equal worth is essential to understanding submission in the context of the marriage relationship.
Scripture makes NO allowances for male dominance or male superiority...neither is submission a position of inferiority or demeaning in its application." (emphasis mine)

God designed both men and women in His image...to be "created in His image" is the pinnacle of His creation. God never distinguishes between men and women as one being of more worth or importance. For us to think that women are less important or worth is to demean the image of God...it is sin!
So why is there submission...why can't both men and women "rule" equally? We all have been in situations where you have too many "Chiefs" and nothing gets done....there is confusion, disorder and at times pure chaos. God is His divine authority, designed submission as an orderly way of life. We saw yesterday we are called to submit to all sorts of "rankings" in life...authorities, bosses etc.

In regard to a husband's headship over his wife, Carolyn makes a very Biblical point, "God instituted a husband's leadership and a wife's submission prior to the entrance of sin (Gen.1-3)" When He created man and woman an order was established... He first made Adam and then out of Adam came Eve. Gen. 2:21-22 "Then the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man"
We see God already establishing order...Man first then out of him "a helper" (Gen 2:18) was fashioned. Adam and Eve's sin did not come until later...they lived joyfully in the garden within the context of marital submission. When sin came into the garden, the security and peace that submission and headship brought to Adam and Eve, was destroyed.

But as Carolyn also points out, in Ephesians 5:22-33, God reveals His ultimate intention for headship " It is to reflect the relationship of Christ and the Church...The husband is to mirror the sacrificial love of Christ by laying down his life for his wife and the wife is to exemplify the Churches joyful submission to Christ by following her husband's leadership"

Where there is no order there is chaos. How is your home run? Is there chaos because you keep "rising up" against our husband's headship? Do your children see the benefit or submission or are they confused? Do you obey the authorities placed above you.? Godly submission is a blessing for our home and lives. As wives we willingly and joyfully "put ourselves under" our husband's headship because it protects us, benefits our home and shows the world the glory of Jesus as the One who submitted to the Father. ( Phil 2:8) As single women, we submitt to the authorities God has placed over us...boses, parents. When we balk and grumble at this order, we display an anger towards God. It is like saying to Him, "I can do better than you...I will be my own headship!"
If this is what you are feeling, would you go to the Son, Jesus, and ask Him to give you the grace He had as He submitted to the Father? Would you ask Christ to humble you and give you joy just as He had? He will.