Too many times yellow traffic lights and yield signs end up being counterproductive. I have nothing against the signs. It’s the way people often react to them. When the light turns yellow, the driver is to take caution and extra care as they travel through the intersection or stop before the intersection. Instead, the driver puts their foot down and ends up being less careful and less precautionary.
A yield sign is supposed to help traffic merge safely or make an intersection safer by clearly indicating to one party that they are to give the right of way to the other party. Quite often though, I see one or more cars punch it so they won’t have to yield.
Does that sound like you in your marriage? A situation arises where you need to take extra care and/or give up your (right of) way so that the two of you can merge and end up in the “same lane,” but you put the pedal to the metal in order to get your way.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21). I’m hearing the apostle Paul say here that in healthy marriages both husbands and wives have yield signs. Defer your desires keeping the interests of your spouse above yours. What’s great is when both spouses are thinking of each other. Merging your wants with your spouse’s aspirations can often be seamless.
It has been my experience that yielding my will in order to merge with Sally has yielded great returns in our relationship.
Submission does not mean that I have to give up everything I want or need. It means I need to think before I speak. It means that out of love and care, I need to put my spouse needs before my own. Mutual submission, as mentioned in Eph. 5:21, means that my wife does the same for me.
When a man is willing to sacrifice for his wife’s good, she is willing to submit to his leadership. She knows he is always looking out for her and willing to put her interests ahead of his.
And when a woman respects her husband — even during disagreements — he is encouraged to grow in spiritual leadership of the family.
Spouses who make a practice of yielding to each other tend to be happier and in more satisfying marriages than those who don’t.
