I think that as a teenage girl you can look in the mirror and imagine yourself as a married twenty something and believe it or not these next few years of your life make a big difference in how prepared that woman in the mirror will be for marriage.

The biggest thing I wish a teenage girl could understand is that submission and subjection are not just for married woman, and that practicing these skills right now will make you an amazing person and a blessing to everyone you are around both now and in the future.

SUBMISSION AND SUBJECTION ARE SKILLS?

Proverbs 16:32, He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Have you ever had someone tell you what to do and it just infuriated you?  Was it natural to keep your mouth shut, smile, choose a good attitude and do what they said?

If your answer was “No.” but you did it anyway, than you practiced the skill of ruling your own spirit.  It is something we have to work on and understand.  We need to recognize our emotional triggers and how we should choose to act.  I talk about this in ACT. Don’t React, but moving on.

As I explain Why Submission And Subjection Are Not The Same, let me tell you a story about two wives in the Bible.

MOSES AND ZIPPORAH

Now, when I think of Moses and how he pretty much hated when people bullied others (the Egyptian in Exodus 2:11-12 and the shepherds in Exodus 2:16 – 17), I can’t imagine him being a froward husband.  Wasn’t he known as the meekest leader in all the Bible?  He had so much power, but showed so much compassion and mercy.

But Zipporah, she was a different kind of woman.  She was raised in a culture that did not fear the one true God.  She was given as a wife to Moses (as was the custom of the time) and there was no real romance involved.  And then one day this “God” called her husband away from their home to lead this strange people out of Egypt.  

CALLED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AND FAMILY

Can you imagine that?  She had no choice.  Have you ever felt that way?

Maybe your parents moved.  Maybe they were called to be in a difficult ministry.  Maybe they decided to home school you or send you to a different school.  Maybe they just asked you to stop what you were doing to work on their problem.

Zipporah had to leave everything she ever knew for this “God.”  And then while they were travelling, God stopped Moses at the door of the Inn in which they were staying and was going to kill him.  (Exodus 4:24-26)  Do you know the reason?

It was because they for some reason had not circumcised their sons as was God’s command for Jewish boys.  You and I can imagine the conversations that were going on behind the closed doors.  “What do you mean you want to perform surgery on my sons?!?!”

But ultimately Zipporah obeyed in subjection.  But if you read the story, she was extremely angry at Moses and called him a bloody man.  She did not know Why Submission and Subjection Are Not The Same, and I honestly don’t know if she would have cared.

WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID SHE HAVE?

Zipporah was in a spot where she either obeyed or her husband died.  So she made the only choice she seemed to have.  Have you every felt that way?

One thing that makes me frustrated is when I feel I have no choice in a matter, but sometimes that is just the way things happen.  In the past 15 years, I have had to learn how to deal with myself in those situations more than anything and it changed everything for the better.

SARAH HAS BEEN MY GUIDING EXAMPLE

I look at Sarah, who followed Abraham to Egypt and even allowed Abraham to lie and say she was not his wife.  In 1 Peter 3:4-6 we see that God praised her for trusting in Him and obeying her husband with a meek and quiet spirit.

Zipporah could have chosen the meek and quiet spirit.

Zipporah could have chosen a “Sure, why not?” attitude and trusted that God would have taken care of her and her sons in this new adventure.

She could have chosen the spirit of submission, but if Submission and Subjection are not the same, than what is submission?

SUBMISSION IS WHAT MAKES SUBJECTION SWEET

Submission is what makes subjection sweet.  It is casting all your care upon the Lord and taking up your fears, disappointments and disagreements to Him.  Submission is serving with a sincerely happy heart.  Submission is esteeming others better than yourself.  If submission was subjection than Ephesians 5:21 should would make things confusing.

Subjection is straight up obedience and Zipporah did that.  But you find her story doesn’t end there.

Her contention was so fierce that she was unbearable and not a help at all.  She had an ugly spirit; one that lacked submission and while Moses did not divorce her, he sent her back home. (Exodus 18:2) Can you imagine?  Merciful and meek Moses could not handle her?  I have seen many a rebellious woman beat down a good man.

Just so you know the end of the story, later on Jethro (her father) saw that God was with Moses and he came to be with Moses and brought Zipporah back with him.

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?

Do you know the parable of the two brothers in Matthew 21:28 – 30?

Two sons were given an order by their father.  One said he would not obey, but then repented and did obey.  The second had a submissive spirit and said that he would obey, but then did not. 

God likened this to how we may start out like the first son who was neither submissive nor in subjection, but repented humbly and turned it all around.  Or we can pretend to have a good attitude on the outside, but ultimately we are disobedient.

Which do you want to be? Someone who says they “love God” and doesn’t obey, or someone who humbly obeys with a happy heart?

WE PRACTICE THE SKILL OF A PLEASANT SPIRIT WHILE OBEYING EACH DAY

Did you know that you and I have something in common?  We both are under the authority of someone.  We both can either be a contentious Zipporah who obeys grudgingly and with a contentious spirit and cause everyone around us to want to us to leave…

… or we can be a Sarah and obey with a sweet spirit and trust that God sees and will reward us accordingly whether we have a good and kind authority or froward one. (1 Peter 2:18-25)

WE ARE NOT LEFT WITHOUT A VOICE

I need to head out, but stick with me and read next week.  I want to share with you what options you have when you feel you have no control and you desperately want to speak up.

There is a good and right way and it is also a skill.

If this was an encouragement to you or you think it would help someone, please share it.

In the meantime, “Keep on keepin on.”

Melissa