Daily Devotional
Different but Not Inferior
“Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
Ephesians 5:24
June 18, 2022
Ponder This
The tendency today is to stress the equality of men and women by minimizing the unique significance of maleness and femaleness. The consequence is division and destruction. Why? People are throwing away their God‑given identities. Oneness and equality are not the same. God is for oneness; God is not for sameness. God made us different that He might make us one. God, “made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). And for one to recognize the headship of the other does not mean the inferiority of the one.
If you work for a boss, you’d better be submissive, or you’ll be looking for another job. That doesn’t mean you’re inferior to your boss. If you’re on a team, you have to be submissive to the coach. That doesn’t mean you’re inferior to the coach. If you’re a student, you’d better be submissive to your professor, or you’re not going to learn and get the grades. That doesn’t mean you’re inferior to your professor. If you are a citizen, you’d better be submissive to the policeman. That doesn’t mean you’re inferior to the policeman; it simply means that in all of creation and society God has put order.
- What other examples can you think of in which differences and submission do not equal inferiority?
- Through His relationship with the Church, how does Jesus model the value husbands are to place on their wives?
Practice This
Write out the examples you thought of that display differences and submission but not inferiority. How do these better help you understand what Paul meant in this text?
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
