OVERCOMING the Obstacles to Women in Ministry

Obstacle # 1: The issue of submission

My first challenge revolved around the issue of submission. As a female leader, I was scrutinized extensively regarding my submissive nature. I had always thought of myself as a submissive person, but when ministry became my goal, submission became an issue I had to grapple with and fully understand.

As young believers, my husband Bill and I encountered well-meaning Christians who suggested we submit ourselves to their authority. Many felt Bill needed to keep me under his thumb.

I was starting prayer meetings, leading people to Christ, preaching and sharing the gospel all the time. According to them, this was a man's job. I was not sure what that meant. Jesus called us to disciple, to "go," but now I needed to ask my husband's permission?

Finally Bill told them we did not believe God wanted that arrangement. They had a fit! Being new to the ways of God, we really had to trust that we were hearing the Lord's voice. He taught us that submission was an attitude of the heart. The Lord began to speak to me about submitting to Him and to my husband. We could mutually trust and work as a unified team.

Submission WAS in my heart, and I needed to establish that I was a submitted person. But this did not mean others were free to run my life for me, or that a man must scrutinize all my decisions because he was "free of deception" and I was not. I spent years coming to the understanding that God sees submission as a willingness to serve Him. A love of mankind causes one to deny himself or herself for the good of others.