Because HE said so.

I have never liked hearing the phrase, "Because I said so." In fact, from the time I was young until now, "Because I said so" caused me to want to do the exact opposite of what I was being asked. Prideful? Probably. Rebellious? Definitely. But somehow, "Because I said so" always felt like it couldn't be trusted. Like it was based solely on the desires of the speaker and on nothing of solid value.
As a wife trying to live as God has called me to live, I am in the process of grasping what it means to submit to my husband. Before I was married, I was EXCITED about this idea of submission. I even thought I was going to be GOOD at it. (Pride is obviously a common theme here, but that's another story for another day!) I think I was unaware that submission's definition was quite different than manipulation or control. :) I am so willing to submit to my husband when his thoughts and desires line up with my own; but whenever he presents an idea outside of my plans (prayed through or not), submission feels more like nails down a chalkboard than a joy. God has been teaching me that this idea of a wife submitting to her husbands wasn't created by a bunch of men who wanted to say "because I said so" all the time. Submission comes because He (our All-knowing God) says so. Ladies, we have to understand that this command was issued because He loves us and He knows best. We also need to grasp that submission is a privilege. Think about it. Who followed through on the all-time most gracious submission? Jesus Christ Himself, when He submitted to dying on the cross for us. Not only is submission God's plan for us, it is also an honor. I have spent enough time on the outskirts of God's plan for my life, and I don't want to waste any of my marriage not listening to what God's word says about His command for us as wives. Ephesians 5:22-24 says, "²²Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord. ²³For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body. ²⁴As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands."
As a service to the Lord. Not as a burden to your soul, or a punishment for your sins. Our submission to our husbands is such a beautiful representation of the church's position as the body of Christ to Christ the Head of this body. Now, I am the first to admit that I am bad at this. I want to lead. I want to call the shots. Why? Because it feels safe. Because I think I know best. Because I say so. But ultimately, God says that isn't truth. God promises that He has put our husbands in a position which they are qualified and called to lead us in love and truth, and because of that, we must simply trust and follow. Not because they say so. Because He says so. Let's commit ourselves to trusting that the glorious plan He has for us in our marriages and in our lives is not only true, but that it is good.