Not My Will: Obedience and Submission

Join Joe and Kelly as they discuss obedience and submission through God's point of view.  

Transcript

Episode 8 Obedience and Submission 

Kelly: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Blessings on Hope Road podcast, where we talk about life, family, and what it all looks like through the lens of our walk with God as we step into our calling as his children.

Welcome to episode eight of Blessings on Hope Road. Yeah, welcome back. We're gonna talk about obedience and submission. We don't have a fancy title for this one. 

Joe: There. No, no, there's no, there's, there's no fancy, there's no nice no words. Obedience and submission are just kind of like they are what they are.

They scare people sometimes. They, I think they do scare people sometimes, and they really shouldn't. No, they're, they're nothing to be afraid of. They're, they're good things. They're very good things. They can be, when 

Kelly: used properly. Yes. Some people do not use those words properly also, 

Joe: correct? Yes. Yeah. [00:01:00] It, it much like everything else, it, depending on where you are in your life, um, are you in a rebellious phase in your life?

If you, are the words obedience in submission immediately strike a not so pleasant cord? No, they do not. Your, 

Kelly: they make you turn your and run. 

Joe: Um, I mean maybe Or fight. Yes, fight. There was a time those words had me ready to, yeah. Not that I was some kind of like majestic fighter, some kind of No, because I was not a fighter at all, but they made me very angry.

But rebellion's 

Kelly: a good word because that happens a lot with those two words. People like to rebel against those two words. Mm-hmm. 

Joe: Yeah. It takes a, um,

It takes coming to a certain place of, and forgive me, I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but it, it, it takes coming to a certain place of maturity, I [00:02:00] think, to be able to receive Yeah. What it truly means to be obedient, what it truly means to be sub permissive and not, uh, try to do it in an unhealthy way.

Right. Um, for sure. So, but there is, and you might ask, you know, what's the difference between obedience and submission? Mm-hmm. Um, but there actually is, while they are closely related and sometimes they are interchangeable in vocabulary, um, there is a difference. And, and this is just my humble opinion for what it, for what it's worth.

For what it's worth. Um, actually, you know what, before we get into, excuse me, what it's worth? Merriam Webster, this is. The definition [00:03:00] for obedient. Um, it seems, whenever I look up a definition for a word, I always go to Merriam Webster, even though it's an old one, and I'm sure it's considered outdated by many, um, that company, that those folks were biblically based.

So I tend to go back in. I wanna know what they said it was because I can usually line it up with the, the biblical definition of a word and go, yep, it's spot on. So obedient is submissive to the restraint or command of authority willing to obey. 

Kelly: So you have to be submissive to be obedient? 

Joe: Yes. Okay. You have to be submissive.

But you can be submissive to the point of being obedient and still not be in full submission to the person. Okay. 

Kelly: [00:04:00] Yeah. Wanna explain that 

Joe: one? I know it's weird, right? And this is, I am not trying to confuse anybody. So if. I go to work. Right. Okay. Yeah. And let's just say I start a new job and I feel as if I am qualified for this type of position.

Um, let's just say I go to work at a restaurant, okay. And I feel like I am qualified to be a. Line Chef and I should just be on the line. I should be preparing food and getting stuff ready to go out. You know that. And the first thing out of the head chef's mouth is I need you to take the trash out.

I most likely will take the trash out. I will be obedient and I will submit to that. Direct order. Okay. But I am most likely at that point, and I'm not gonna say in this stage, there was a time in my [00:05:00] life Okay. Right. Let me, let me, okay, let me kind of put that in the right context. Um, there was the time in my life, maybe like 15, 20 years ago, where if someone would have said that I would've done it because I was taught to do what I was told growing up.

Right. For sure, but I can tell you 100% confidence, I would not have been in full submission to that man or to that woman, whoever the head chef is. Yeah. I would have been angry, like, I'll, I'm gonna take the trash out, but I'm not gonna take a whole lot more of that kind of talk right there. You're not gonna tell me.

'cause I know what I'm capable of because I know what I can do because I'm in just this And that's rebellion. Did you hear all the eyes in there? Uh, it, it's, it's a lot. And that's, That's what I'm getting at. It's, there is so much Right. Rebellion. Is it, it the whole, the whole of rebellion revolves around I, yeah.

I, I, I, me, me, me, me, me. It's, uh, it's, it's, it's what [00:06:00] got Lucifer kicked outta heaven. Yeah. Most rebellion because it was all about him. It was pride. Yeah. And ironically enough, pride has five letters in it and dead in the center is I. Hm. So, 

Kelly: wow, you're hitting me with all kinds of things that I didn't think about before.

Joe: If it makes you feel any better, just as I was describing that, that popped in my head, like I literally saw it because normally I'd be over using fingers. P R I D. Yeah, there are five letters. There are five letters. So that was Thank you. Thank you, holy Spirit for that. That was wonderful. And the Holy Spirit can make you seem intelligent.

Kelly: Okay, so if that is obedient mm-hmm. Then submission 

Joe: Ready, ready, ready, ready, ready? Yeah, I'm ready for it. Remember, remember the word I showed you? Yeah. Submission. Biblical submission is centered on love. [00:07:00] Okay. It's, it's based, rooted, built on, steeped in love. Okay. Because when you love someone, you'll do whatever you need to do for their wellbeing, for their

benefit, maybe for a lack of a better word, you will do things that you normally would not do. Or that you might not want to do, but you will do it. You will do the thing that you don't desire to do willingly if you're submitted. Okay. I can see that as a husband and a wife, submit themselves to each other, to one another.

There are things that we do for each other that aren't exactly on the [00:08:00] top of our priority list if we're being quite honest. I mean, there are, there are things that were like, uh, no, let me think about, uh, no, let's make plans today. You know, what's not involved this, but when you love that person, and it doesn't mean you, you have to do that, that type of thing all the time.

But, Uh, for instance, and I, I'll step out of the realm of husband and wife, um, and step into my role as a father. There is zero part of my, anything that is attracted to skating, I do not desire to watch. Figure skating, then you have a problem. I do not care about figure skating. [00:09:00] Don't, and that's not because I think it's stupid.

That's not, I just, I'm not, I'm a guy. 

Kelly: Okay. So we need to explain a little bit where the figure skating came 

Joe: from though. I'm about to. I'm about to. It just doesn't come outta thin air. It didn't come outta thin air. Patience. Okay, sorry. But. You mm-hmm. Are a figure skater. Our daughter is a figure skater.

Yes. I have spent countless hours in an ice rink. Yes. Because it means the world to my daughter. Yes, it does. Because it does mean something to you that I am there. Mm-hmm. I don't want to be there in the sense of I really, you know, I was just thinking I would love to go see somebody do a double toe loop that would, that would really on my list of things to see today.

That's at the top. That doesn't happen ever. [00:10:00] No.

What And when you say you spend hours, it is hours. Yeah. And let me go ahead and put some context into that. Um, for any of you who are listening right now who do not understand, um, the inner workings of figure skating, I know you turn on tv. I. You turn on the TV and you turn on the Olympics and you watch the Olympic figure skater go out and the camera's on them and it's this beautiful program, and you're like, oh, wow.

Look at how talented they are. And then it's off. And you're like, okay, that's great. And you turn your TV off, let behind the scenes, pull back the curtain. Um, when you or someone you love is involved in figure skating, you were at that rink for about 13 hours that day, and that 13 hours is all. Completely and totally comprised of that.

Like three minutes on the ice. Yeah. So you literally spend 12 hours [00:11:00] and 57 minutes in a place for this Three minutes, three minutes of glory. 

Kelly: Sometimes like four, four and a half. Depends on the program. 

Joe: And if you're lucky. They're in multiple events, so you at least get three minutes here and then in like an hour and a half you get another four minutes, and then in like two and a half hours you get three more minutes.

And then in like an hour and a half you get like four minutes. And then maybe if you're lucky, they'll be like a fifth one in there for like another three or four minutes and you're like, wow. That was, that was an an okay day. That was, Takes a long day worthwhile. Everybody tired it, but it does, it does actually make the long day worthwhile.

Um, and even if it was just three minutes, it would still be worthwhile. Yeah. But I am submitted, not to [00:12:00] my daughter per se, but I am submitted to the role of being a father. Yeah. Which is who God called me to be. Mm-hmm. That's where the submission comes in. It's not that I'm submitted, it's not that my daughter says, Hey, you better go do this.

I'm like, okay. Right. It's not like that. No. But I'm submitted to God. Mm-hmm. And God says that there are certain things now, it doesn't say anywhere in scripture that you have to go spend your weekend in an ice rink. It doesn't say that. Yeah. However, there are certain things that just come with the territory.

Yeah. Very much so. Um, But I am to be submitted to you, to my wife, right? I'm submitted to Christ. I am, I am submitted to you. But there are biblical roles in all that, but everything centers around is steeped in, built on runs on love. And it's kind of neat because I haven't done this in a while. Um, [00:13:00] if you've been to a wedding, I think you've heard these scriptures, most likely if they, if they have scripture read at the wedding.

Um, but people love, um, first Corinthians chapter 13, it is the love chapter. It is, um, 

Kelly: the most read 

Joe: chapter at weddings. But I'm not, I, I'm not, I'm going to avoid, I'm going to avoid the temptation to really dig into that because if you really read this part that I'm gonna read for a, a purpose of digging into what love looks like.

Um, love is not at all what we think. No, but I'm going to avoid that temptation and I'm gonna keep the main thing, the main thing. Okay. So we're talking about sub submission and obedience. Yeah.

With it being rooted in love. This is a cool little thing. So [00:14:00] if you know God, if you spend time with him, if you have a relationship with him and you allow him and you acknowledge him to be the Lord of your life, um, as we do, you know, because you've read scripture that God is love. Mm-hmm. Like the only reason we're able to love is because God loved us first.

Right. And God is love. Um, John said that in one of his epistles, not the gospel, same John, different book, but right here, Paul talks about love In one Corinthians chapter 13, I know I'm jumping all over the place. I like scripture. I get excited. Um, check this out. Check out what happens. Okay. When you switch out Love for God, okay?

God suffers long and is kind. God does not envy. God does not parade himself. God is not puffed up. God does not behave rudely. [00:15:00] God does not seek his own. God is not provoked. God thinks no evil. God does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. God bears all things. God believes all things. God hopes all things.

God endures all things. Yeah. God never fails. 

Kelly: Wow. That's so crazy how you can literally replace the word love with God. And if you read it that way, it makes you see it from a totally different perspective, 

Joe: right? Like, I'm like you said, I'm seriously, and I mean, I know you can see me like I'm sitting here like I'm, I'm teary eye right 

Kelly: now.

Like, yeah, yeah. Like that is so crazy because he wrote those words for us with love. But literally, if you replace love with God, You read that completely 

Joe: differently. It puts just a smidge in perspective what he does for us. [00:16:00] Yeah. Each and every moment of each and every day. And it's what keeps me in a state of just being dumbfounded did at what he does because I, I, I don't, I know for a fact.

That nothing that I have, nothing that he has given me, nothing that he has blessed me with. I, I don't, I don't deserve a lick of it, but God, his love for me, instead of getting what I deserve, I,

I got everything. I didn't, I deserved the punishment that Christ got. That's what I deserved. Right. And I believe that with every ounce of my heart, that's not false humility talking. That's not me trying to sound like, wow, I'm serious. I know the things that I've done in my life. You know, the things that you have done mm-hmm.

Or that I have done in, [00:17:00] in, in our lives together. Yeah.

That what Christ took is what I deserved. Yeah. For the things that I did in my life, in my past, but

I didn't. I didn't have to endure that because God endured for me. Yeah. He suffered for me.

That's humbling. Yeah. That is humbling. Beyond all imagination. And that right there is why I say there is a difference

between obedience and submission.

If you tell me to do something because there's a benefit, I get up and go to work every day because I need to make money for my family. Right. I [00:18:00] have a job, I agreed to it. I need to be obedient to do the things I'm asked to do, and that's what I do. Mm-hmm.

But if I take that same approach, To the things that God tells us to do in our lives. It becomes religion. Yeah. Because now I'm doing it because I have to, because I'm supposed to. But when I read that section of scripture and I read Psalm 22. About what Jesus endured the prophetic Psalm about what King David wrote down about what Christ was going to endure.

And when I read the gospels and read about what he endured, what he endured [00:19:00] for me,

I no longer do something because I have to do it. I no longer do the things he says to do because I. I should do it. I'm doing it because I want to do it. Yeah. I want to do the things that he says because when you start to get ahold of this stuff, you realize that everything he said in here is for our benefit.

Yeah. It's not to be a burden. When he says, don't fear, do not fear. Do not be afraid. Do not worry, do not be anxious when he says all those things he's not saying because, hey, I think this is a good idea. He's saying, don't do these things. Why? Because if you do these things, they will carry you over into unbelief, and when you get over into unbelief, [00:20:00] I cannot do the things I have for you because you're an unbelief.

And we know that's how it works. Yeah, it does. Because it says and, and I don't, forgive me, I don't, I, I, it escapes me which gospel it is. I don't know if it's in John, but it says that Jesus went to his hometown and could not do many works there except heal a few because of their unbelief. Yeah. Not because his power is not strong enough to overcome our unbelief.

It could in a heartbeat, but that's him forcing it, right? He wants us to choose to believe him. He wants us ready to submit to his ways, and in that submission, be obedient to do the things he tells us to do. So in that place, he can pour out everything he has for us. And First [00:21:00] Samuel in the Old Testament, it says obedience is better than sacrifice.

That's why, because sacrifice is doing stuff just to do it. Yeah, but this is so drastically different. This is so different when you start to do things because you want to do them all of a sudden, and that's what Jesus, that's what he was trying to articulate to the disciples when he said, love the Lord your God with all your strength, heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself on these two commands.

Hang all the law and the prophets, right, because he didn't come to do away with the law. No. He came to fulfill it and he said not one jot or one tittle would be done away with until he returns. So that means all of it's still in effect. We don't get held to that Old Testament. You have to sacrifice goats and doves and sheep and grain offering and wave offering, and [00:22:00] we don't have to do that anymore because of what Christ did on the cross.

But all that stuff is still there. He was trying to tell them, if you abide in me and I abide in you, you'll have love. Love will be there because he is love. That means he's inside of us. And when we do things from a position of love, we fulfilled every requirement of the law. And now we are in right standing.

Our father in heaven sees us just to see, saw Christ, and we know that God looked down on him after he was baptized and said, behold is is my son and whom I'm well pleased, right? Like literally the people there are heard and audible voice, they heard the voice of God. I can't imagine what that must have sounded like.

Yeah, but that's what he sees when he sees us. Behold, my daughter, my son, and whom I am well pleased, but we get so hung up in our heads [00:23:00] trying to make obedience look the way we think it should look. We turn obedience into sacrifice. Well, look, I'm doing this well, look, I'm doing that. Yeah, but did he ask you to do that?

Yeah.

Obedience is better than sacrifice.

It is. It definitely is. This, this right here, this is, this is my wheelhouse.

I love this stuff because I love him. Yeah. And I love him because he loved me. And that really, if in case you haven't noticed it, it's this is what it's going to be. This is not,

we did not decide to do this for the sole purpose of sharing our story. Yes, that's part of it. Yeah.[00:24:00] 

But my heart, my wife's heart. My daughter, whoever sets foot in here and sits in on this podcast, our desire is to lift his name up. Yeah, I don't, I cannot live out the rest of my days without sharing how good he's been to me and helping people to understand that as good as he's been to me. He wants to be that good to you.

He is. Got it. It's there for you. All you have to do is say yes,

and you're not making him. Lord. You're acknowledging his lordship. He's Lord, whether you wanna believe it or not, or whether you want to accept it or not. He is in fact, Lord. Yeah. But when you choose to acknowledge it and submit yourself. It's [00:25:00] out of the love that he's placed in you. It changes everything.

It does. So, whew, how I'm telling you, I, I could stay right on that one point and just hammer. I know.

And you'll have to excuse the long, it's not a pause for dramatics. It is a pause so I can gather myself together because I'm literally, I am, I'm, I'm at a place right now where I just, man, I feel his love so strong. I could, I could just curl up in a ball and just, I'd be good and just like cry in a good way because that feeling, that love when you feel that it's, there's nothing like it on earth.

So[00:26:00] 

what does this look like? We've talked a lot about God, we've talked a lot about his love for us and that we know that obedience and submission are, they go hand in hand, but they are separate things. Yeah. Um, so what does that look like? Well look, there are little bullet points. God is the first one on there.

Yeah. Got it. Nailed it. Yeah. 

Kelly: Um, but what does it look like at church? Um, 

Joe: you know, what does it look like at church? And can I, real quick, I I'm gonna shut up and I'm gonna let you No, God let it rip. Go ahead. Um, church is not a building. No, it is not. Church is not a place Church. Family. And if you're listening right now, that's what I consider you family.

I need you to know something. Church is a people. Yes, we are the church. [00:27:00] We are a people. If you go to your church building on a Sunday morning and you all as a group of people, go stand. Out in the middle of the parking lot. The church is no longer the building. The church is in the middle of the parking lot.

Yeah. We are the church. We are the hands and feet. We are the body of Christ. Yes. The church. Mm-hmm. We are not a physical building made of stone and mortar, we're people, so no, 

Kelly: let it rip. All right. Well, what does obedience look like at church? Um, obedience and submission. So a lot of people struggle, uh, with obedience and submission at church because they, uh, are not obedient to,

I don't wanna say hierarchy 'cause it's not, it's not, no, it's, it's not a good word to use. It's spiritual 

Joe: authority. It's spiritual authority. There are spiritual authorities [00:28:00] there that have been placed over the churches. 

Kelly: Yes. Yep. And the groups of people. And that's, that's the thing that a lot of people struggle with because they, you know, I see it all the time that they're, they don't wanna submit to the authority mm-hmm.

That is in charge of the church. That the person that's in charge of the church normally your pastor, um, you know, especially your senior pastor or mm-hmm. That's normally who it is. They don't wanna submit to that person because then they feel like, oh, well, I don't know what they feel like because I have no problem submitting to authority, but some people do.

They struggle with it because they, I guess it goes back to the whole rebellious that we were talking about earlier. You know, they feel like if they submit to authority, then they're less than, you're not less than you are. Following that, that person's called. To lead the people. Yeah. To shepherd the people they are going to have to face God and have a much [00:29:00] stronger,

how do I say it? 

Joe: Judgment. Judgment. They, you are going to, thats what it is. That's the judgment. They've 

Kelly: been called to do that just because they ask you to do something. As long as it's biblical and it's not breaking any of anything in the Bible. Like, that's the only time that I would ever question anything.

Joe: I said, well, you shouldn't, I think any, any, yeah. Genuine pastor would say the same thing if, if you ever, and I've heard, I've heard our pastor say it. Right. I have heard many pastors say it. If anything that comes out of my mouth does not line up with scripture, yeah, 

Kelly: there's a problem. There's a problem. So if it does, then you need to submit to that authority.

Mm-hmm. But a lot of people will not do that. They will not be obedient to what is requested of them because they get in the way of themselves and it's all about the I factor. Mm-hmm. It goes back to [00:30:00] that. Very much so. And their feelings, and they let that get involved and its not, you're there to show God, to 

Joe: worship him.

Yeah, exactly. There's, there's you, what you just said right there. There's the heart of all of it, right? Literally there's the heart of all of it. Yeah. Where is your heart? Are you submitted to God? Yeah. Because I can guarantee you, I can show you, I can show you spend time in any congregation. Mm-hmm. And you can find out within a few Sundays.

Who submitted to God. Yes. And who's not and who is not. And I'm not saying that to be arrogant. I'm not saying that it is a fact. It is what it is. Yeah. Good, bad, or indifferent. If you get upset when you hear this, I apologize. I am sorry that you are upset. I will not apologize for what I am saying because what I am saying is what I have learned.

Yeah. Over the last 10 [00:31:00] years. Because I have been that person, I have been that person that's gotten upset. Mm-hmm. And thought, well, this should be done like this. And sat back in arrogance and thought, well, this leader should do this, this way, and that leader should do this that way. And they're off base.

And just it's thought to myself, and I've never, I've never, I've never sew discord. Right. I've, I've never walked around in gossip because gossip is one thing that plucks my flipping nerves. Yes. Um, bad. Yeah. But I have within myself, which is no better. I have within myself gotten upset over things. Yeah.

And you have to come to a place where you ask yourself, okay, if I am submitted to God and I trust that God put these spiritual heads of the, of this mm-hmm. Church group over me. If I trust God, then I need to trust them. Right. And I need to trust that what they're doing is in my best interest, right As they hear from God.[00:32:00] 

So, and there are things, guess what? And, and that's part of maturing and growing up. It is. You realize that there are going to be, there are things now, and I have told our pastors and God love them. They are two of my most favorite people on this earth. But there are times I don't always agree with the stuff that they say.

But guess what? It's not my place. Nope. And nine times outta 10. Seriously. In like nine and a half. 9.9 times outta 10. I agree a hundred percent with what they're saying. Yeah. It has been, I, I honestly can't even think off the top of my head of when something's happened. I've been like, no, that's a bad idea.

Yeah. Uh, I don't, uh, I can't think of anything but. There are ways that they go about things that are not the way that I go about things because we're not the same person. No. And it doesn't make it wrong. We're not the same people, but just because they go about [00:33:00] something differently than I would does not, and you just nailed it, doesn't mean that they're wrong.

Right. Or their way is wrong. Right. That's just how they're operating. So you know what? I trust them. They're my pastor's submission. Yeah. That's just how it works. That's just how it is. And just because I, I, if you're listening to this, please listen. If some authority over you has done something in such a way that you do not agree with and it is made you angry and mad, that is not them hurting you.

That is you choosing to be hurt by something that was never meant to hurt you. You are choosing to be offended. That's what's happening. That is not hurt. That is not somebody seeking to be mean to you. That is not somebody trying to manipulate you. That's [00:34:00] not somebody trying to control you. That is you being controlled and manipulated by your own pride and arrogance.

That's what that is. Yeah. Yeah, but just like sin does, it tries to paint somebody else with the very brush of things that it is in fact operating in. Right? That's what it tries. Look at that person. Look, can you believe they said that about you? I can't believe they would make you do that. I can't. What?

And I mean, this goes anywhere. This, this isn't just church. It's not just church work. This is anywhere you are working with people, right? You have to be able. To discern, to sit back and go, okay, what does this look like? Again, you know, we, we talked a couple episodes ago about perspective. Yeah. How are you perceiving this?

If you are in a place of, of a certain area where you haven't quite matured in, then yeah, you're probably gonna get your britches in a bunch. [00:35:00] Yeah. Um, but guess what? It's not the other person's fault. No. Uh, so, but it's a big deal. It's a very big deal because if I'm not, and the reason to go back to where this part all started, the reason I can confidently sit back and say that you spend a few, a few times around people and you can tell who's submitted to God and who's not, is, you can tell by their obedience, yeah, their willingness.

To just do what they're asked to jump in to help to, whatever the case may be. And it goes that, again, it goes that way. At work, are you submitted to your boss? Right? If what? If what He's asking you to do what she's asking you to do. What they, I, I don't know. Whatever it looks like. If you have a group of bosses, if you have one singular boss, either way, if the boss [00:36:00] is asking you to do something or you submit it to say, okay.

Yep, I can do that there. It took me a long time mm-hmm. To get ahold of that. It took me a long time to get ahold of that. Yeah. And when I say a long time, I mean to fully really grasp it, it's probably just now been within the last year. But that there, there was a familiarity there with Right. With my boss because I.

He's, he's only a couple years older than I'm. Right. And I didn't realize it was unintentional, but I did not realize it. I had gotten to this place where I understood what he was saying. I understood what he was desiring to see come about, but I was trying to go about help him reach, helping him reach that by doing it the way I thought it should be done.

Yeah. Not allowing him to direct me in the way he wanted it done, and it caused. It caused strife. It caused strife. Yeah. Not necessarily him being [00:37:00] angry at me, but me just being frustrated. Right? Like, why is this, why can't it just be like this? And then it's all of a sudden that like, you know, that old, old school VA commercial, like boom, palmed, palmed to the forehead.

Like, oh my gosh, this is his thing. This is his business. This is his vision. Right? I am not, I'm submitting to, to what he wants done. I'm listening to what he wants done and then trying to do it my way. Right. You knucklehead. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So that was a, that was a humbling moment. Yeah. I'm sure it was.

When you realize that like, oh, because there is a level of, again, there's a level of arrogance that comes with that. Yeah. And you, you may not be trying. To come off arrogant. I wasn't trying to come off arrogant, but it is what it is. Nonetheless, it doesn't change it. Sure. Yeah. [00:38:00] So what about family? What does submission look like with family?

And we talked a little bit about it, but there, that's, that's a deep well in and of itself too. 

Kelly: That is, it definitely is. Um, You know, submission and family, you always think of submission and family like obedience with like kids. So having to be obedient to their parents. Shut up and do what I said. Yeah, not as I do.

Um, and that's a big one there, you know, especially nowadays, kids do not, I have a big thing about respect and there's people that yes, you do know me, I really do. I have a big thing about respect, um, and. Kids nowadays do not respect their parents at all. That's a 

Joe: fact. And I, well, I, there are some, but 

Kelly: at large there are some, but at large, I'm saying majority.

Yeah. You know, I, I have coached skating for 25 years and in that 25 years I have seen a [00:39:00] shift in children and from kids who would listen to kids who don't listen, and you're just trying to get through. You know, a lesson with toddlers who are not listening because toddlers don't have respect for their parents.

Yeah. And that's sad. Mm-hmm. You know, you're talking about little ones, like they should not be talking back to mom and dad. Right. I mean, granted, yes. I was raised in a very different world where children were seen and not heard, and I don't. Necessarily believe in that 'cause children should be able to talk, but not the way that I see some of these kids talk to their parents.

Um, so yeah, so obedience I think is really hard in families. Um, but I think you to have obedience in a family, you have to have a strong head of household. I. Not someone. Mm-hmm. Who is back and forth, you know? 

Joe: Um, yeah, that's, [00:40:00] there you go. So you staggered. Yeah. Yeah. You have to have a strong, strong around in some soft spots now.

Yeah, yeah. But 

Kelly: it's true. But it's very true. Um, and usually 99% of the time it should be a strong head of household. The way God wanted it was a male figure. It was the father's, the father was to be the Strong's 

Joe: center of the household's. That's not even 99%. It's a hundred percent at the time. Well, but I'm saying 

Kelly: it's, we were in this world.

Unfortunately. Now it's 

Joe: not it, it doesn't, no, the situation isn't, but the way he created it to be, the way he created it to be a hundred percent of the time Oh, absolutely. Is the male, is the spiritual head of the house. Absolutely. Could be it or indifferent. 

Kelly: But I'm saying unfortunately in today's times, it's not the way it's, and that causes problems.

It 

Joe: causes a lot of problems. We could do like a 12 episode, 12 part series. Yeah. Of [00:41:00] why, why it isn't the way God made it to be. Yeah. Because there is so much to that. There's a lot too. It all goes back to one place, which is the original center. Yeah. Which was not Adam and Eve by the way. It was Lucifer. No, he was the original sinner.

He was,

but we were made men. We, we were made. Hmm. Whether you believe it or not, why do you think, and I, I, I'll just maybe scratch the Yeah, I was gonna say, let's touch on it because I have a feeling scratch my fingernails across the top of that surface, even though I really don't have fingernails. That could 

Kelly: literally be, 

Joe: um, that.

Why do you think if you haven't. You know, maybe you're listening to this and your worldview is not a biblical worldview. Um, welcome to the show. Our worldview is a biblical worldview. Yes. [00:42:00] Which basically means I don't view the world through the lens of how I feel, how I think. Um, some good philosophy I heard.

I view the world through the lens of what scripture says. Yeah. Um, what scripture says it's supposed to look like, what God said it is supposed to be. That's how I view it. Um, so with that being said, now take a moment please, if you would, and think if God ordained the first marriage between Adam and Eve.

Mm-hmm. Okay. Male and female. Man. And a woman. Yep. It is. Gender is not asocial. Construct. No. Gender is what you are born when you pop out of the womb. Whatever equipment you are equipped with determines your gender. Yes. You're either male or female. I apologize. There are no more. That's it. Mm-hmm. There are two.

Yeah. [00:43:00] He ordained it to be that way, be fruitful, multiply, which means there are families. Yes, mom and dad, male and female are heads of the house. The mother is the helpmate of the father. The father is the spiritual head before you get all rung up. Listening to this understand something, being the spiritual head of the house does not mean that you call all the 

Kelly: shots.

That is correct. 

Joe: You do not. You have a wife, you have a helpmate. Mm-hmm. That means consultations. Yes. That means let's sit back and talk. Let's, we need to discuss how are we going to move forward? And as you grow in your relationship with God, you'll come to understand that there are some things you don't need.

To consult your wife because you'll be of one accord, because you both will be on the same page. Mm-hmm. Automatically. Um, and if you don't [00:44:00] believe me, give your life to God and watch what happens. Yeah. Um, but with that, anyway, slight, slight digress. Digress. So bring it back on the tracks. Understand this is why there has been such an attack, you know, three or four years ago, toxic masculinity.

Yes. It's all to try to rip the male down. Like everything we do is wrong. Why? It's to take us out. Even the men who were left, left in the household, the men who were left leading their homes, it was an attack on them. Mm-hmm. Tear them down. What you're doing is wrong. This patriarch mentality, this whatever other ridiculous buzz word, phrase, term you can throw at it, it was absolute garbage.

We're the male role model. Do you really want a soy latte drinking tight, skinny jean wearing more hair product in his hair than any woman you can find within a 10 mile radius. [00:45:00] Manicure, pedicure, soft as the other side of the pillow. Male defending you when evil comes beaten down your door. 

Kelly: Oh, are you asking that question to me?

No, I did not. No, it was a 

Joe: rhetorical question. But that's what toxic masculinity, that whole push. That whole move, that's what it was. And then it went right from that, right into what we're looking at now. Transgender men wanting to be 99.9% of it that you see is men wanting to be female. Why? 'cause it takes the spiritual head out of the house.

Yeah. And it leaves everybody else in the family vulnerable. Yeah. What does a lion do? If you've ever watched Nat Geo or the Discovery Channel, what does a pride of lions do when they are hunting, whatever it is they're going after, they find the smallest, weakest one. They [00:46:00] peel it off, they get it by itself, and they kill it.

Yep. The enemy who only has the power that we give him circles, he figures out how to peel the small ones off. Well, now you've got men trying to be women. You've got women thinking they love women, transgender, homosexual behavior, all this stuff. And that, that's just in that aspect, that's not even getting into the 'cause.

Guess what? It doesn't have to be that. It can be your career driven. Everything is about your career. Yeah. Everything is about your hobbies. Everything is work hard, play hard or whatever, but they have peeled you off and your children are vulnerable. Yeah. And what better way for the enemy to get rid of a problem and to stop it before it has a chance to start?

So he gets 'em while they're young and he attacks 'em.

That's just a little, [00:47:00] like I said, we could do a 12 part Yeah. Series on that, because I'm telling you, it's, it's something I am extremely, extremely, extremely passionate about. I've seen his plans, I've seen him, I've been on the wrong end of the enemy's plans. Yeah. But God, Mm-hmm. And that's what it'll always be.

And it is the very epicenter of everything that the enemy is trying to do is to keep you in a place where he has you thinking that God is oppressive, God is, you follow God. And it's all rules, all regulations. It is no fun. It is a boring life. It is a mundane. You just, you're in shackles because just look at that Bible.

It's full of everything you can and can't do when it's actually not that at all. No, it's not. And it's actually the [00:48:00] very freedom your heart desires is found in it.

But again, that's how he works. Yeah. Because if he can keep, if he can keep you in rebellion, he'll never be able to submit. Nope. And if you never submit, you'll never be obedient. 

Kelly: You'll never be able to get everything that 

Joe: God has for you. And he has so much. He does. He has so much. Guys, I'm telling you if, if, uh, it is probably a drum I will beat until it falls apart, but we'll put it back together and we'll beat it some more because I am telling you good, perfect, incredible gifts.

I. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of lights. Yeah, that's God able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or think. That's God, that's how he rolls. [00:49:00] And this book called the Bible that so for so many years, collected dust on my bookshelf. And does on a lot of bookshelves does.

I would wager to say it does. Yeah. You don't realize it is stories. It is. It's a love letter from the first page of Genesis to the last page of Revelation. It is a love story. I mean, it's all centered around, centered around Jesus. Mm-hmm. And what he's doing to reconcile you to himself. Yeah. What he did to reconcile you to himself and what he's going to do.

To bring you to himself for eternity, right? That's what it's, and for that, I am eternally grateful. And that is why we do what we do. That's why we're doing this. That is exactly why we're doing this. So I hope, I don't know, I feel peace [00:50:00] about this. I have a calmness in my spirit. So, um, I think I'm quite simply going to say thank you for tuning into this episode.

I hope it blesses you. Um, please like, share, subscribe, um, all those good things so we can continue to make content to put out for your listening. Pleasure. Yeah. Because we love doing this and we hope that you guys are blessed by it. Um, we just thank God for the opportunity, so we will see you. Oh, well, we're not gonna see you, but we'll talk to you next time.

Kelly: Thanks for listening to the Blessings on Hope Road podcast. If you'd like to support the show, click on the link in the description and don't forget to follow the show to get notifications whenever there's new content.[00:51:00]