Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 NIV
Submit to One Another
According to thecanadaguide.com website, Canada is usually considered a mostly egalitarian country in the tradition of other western democracies, meaning respect for hierarchy is not considered a particularly important value in daily life. Most Canadians are strong individualists of one form or another and will dislike changing too much of their behaviour or personality to please others — indeed, aggressive conformity may be scorned by others as phony or weak. The main figures of reverence in Canadian society are senior citizens, who are usually given a higher-than-normal degree of politeness and courtesy.
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The heart of the Christian gospel is submission. We have a Redeemer because Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father, and in a sense, to us, when He came to be with us. We see it most clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus said to the Father, “nevertheless, not my will be done, but yours.” By doing so, He went to the Cross, and by doing so, He submitted Himself to us out of love. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that we read this in Ephesians 5:21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Because Jesus submitted to the will of His Father, and because our Creator submitted Himself to us, we are called to submit to one another in the family of God. This is something that we don’t think about often enough. Within the fellowship of the local church, there should constantly be a sense that people are willing to set aside their own desire to be first in order to serve our brothers and sisters. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the One who submitted first.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley