Thursday, December 11, 2008

Anna Mow - writing on "being subject to"

Anna Mow was loved and appreciated in the Church of the Brethren for her teaching - in hundreds of churches and in her books. The following teaching on Ephesians 5:21 is excerpted from her 1979 book, Springs of Love. "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ."

When relationship to another person is called "being subject" to that person, it really his hard. No one wants to be anyone's doormat. The fact is that there is nothing in all the Bible which says that anyone is to be another person's doormat. ... So what does it mean to be "subject to another?"

The Greek verb tanslated "be subject to" ... means "to arrange under" or "to put yourself under." The important thing in this is that a choice is implied. It does mean "take anything that happens to you." It is not passive, docile resignation; it is not cringing self-effacement or mere complaisance. It is choosing the best welfare of the other one.

...

We do not have two areas in our hearts for our relationships - one for God and another for other persons. We act according to what we are in the depths of our being. No person, man or woman, can be humble and reverent toward God and then act or feel arrogantly toward any human being.

So the ability to love and respect another person depends upon our relationship to God. This is the reason that true fulfillment comes first of all out of one's commitment to God. Because of this God relationship we can see all people as God sees them. ...

We usually call this having respect for one another. Even children need to be respected. When we see God's love for every individual it is also easier to have respect for ourselves.

Source: Springs of Love, Anna Mow

continued tomorrow