Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (Eph. 5:22-24)

As a reminder, when we left each other last time, I was on my bed on the afternoon of Christmas Day 2018 suffering heart palpitations and determining that I was not going to Accident & Emergency as I had on two previous occasions and all tests had come up negative. I needed to get to the bottom of why this was happening again this third time. I was earnestly binding and loosing, declaring every Scripture of promise about healing and health, and waging warfare in the spirit in my prayer language. By this time my husband, who I had left behind with my children to come home and “rest”, had called and decided he was coming to be with me.  So, we were battling together until he fell asleep :). The palpitations continued unabated and I felt I should stop the warfare and listen to my Father God.  As I became still, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the first attack. I shared in Part 2 the revelation from the Lord of the door I had opened to the enemy’s attack by failing to walk in an attitude of submission to my own husband as instructed in several Scriptures (Ephesians 5:22-24, 33; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1, 5-6).  This first attack took place on New Year’s Day 2017.

As I continued to be silent in God’s presence with my palpitations still continuing, a second memory was given by the Holy Spirit of a Word I received from the Lord in July 2017. I had just completed my 2-year consultancy in the Bahamas and returned to Jamaica. The Youth Ministry at my church was in charge of the worship service for Father’s Day and the theme was “Man Up”. A charge was given to our men to be the men God has called them to be and not to back down from their responsibilities. The following day, the Lord gave me a Word for the women in our church and I believe for women in general. I had recorded the Word in my journal and repeat it here word for word.

“I believe in the current season of Covenant City’s focus on building up men, there is a message the Lord has laid upon my heart regarding how women’s treatment and relationship with the men in their lives (husbands, sons, grandsons, nephews, sons-in-law, step sons, significant other, male co-workers [especially the younger ones], church leaders, etc.) has had a negative impact on how the men see themselves. The very criticism that women have been laid against their men has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The thing you fear the most has come upon you.

Many of us are our own worst enemies. Women have believed the world’s lies regarding the Women’s Liberation Movement. That we have been kept in bondage. Now we go to the other extreme. We don’t realize that we are shooting ourselves in the foot. There is a divine order that God has established.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11:3)

We tear down our men because of how we may have been treated by men we looked up to. We feel mistreated, unloved, hurt, abused and we lash out (knowingly & unconsciously) against the men around us to belittle them so we can feel a sense of self-esteem, not realizing that this is playing into the enemy’s hands. Our role as women is intercession. Men are accountable to God. It is not a woman’s role to try and change a man. The man is God’s representative and God will have to change him. It is our responsibility as women not to criticize or to nag but to be a helper. How do we help? We affirm. Build up his self-confidence, self-respect through affirmation. Help him to bring his dreams to fulfillment. Partner with him. Many times we undermine his authority, especially in the home, because many times as the nurturers God has wired us to be we are not understanding nor are we in agreement with the tough stance that we see our men taking with our children. Guilty as accused! (my own confession before God).  Take it to the Lord!! Yes, sometimes the approach is wrong but many times it is right but not the way we would have handled it because we are not wired to discipline but to nurture. Submission is God’s instruction. Not a suggestion or a recommendation but an instruction! When not obeyed then we are in sin. We cannot choose some things out of the Scriptures and not others. Trust that God knows best. I know this has been an area of struggle for me personally. The Lord reminds us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). Truly, as far as the east is from the west so far are God’s thoughts higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways.”

As God would have it, at the end of July I was approached by the leader of our church’s Women’s Ministry to share a message at the meeting to be held in August 2017. Of course, I saw this as a door of opportunity the Lord had opened for me to share this Word. I entitled the message “Man Up Woman Up” and the Lord gave me a really cool message that was very well received. You can click on the link if you want to read the full message click here.

How many of you know that when you deliver a message from the Lord you will always be put to the test? I certainly was and failed miserably on several occasions following the delivery of this message. Then came the second attack of heart palpitations right in church on a Sunday morning. I’ll share about this next time as our journey toward understanding Father God’s heart regarding submission continues.

Shalom.