The command to be submissive is given numerous times in the Bible. We are supposed to be submissive to authorities in our life, children to parents, wives to husbands, and mutual submission within a family or in a church family. We tend to interpret the word submission to mean that we have to obey when we are ordered to do something by another person. We can call that definition reactive. A much better kind of submission would be proactive which is described in Philippians 2:3-4,
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

A character requirement to practice proactive submission is initiative. “Look out for the interest of others.” On the farm growing up my Dad would say regularly, “don’t wait for me to tell you what to do, look around and see what needs to be done, and then do it.” That is initiative. When you look around and see what you can do for someone else, that is being a servant to that person, and you are being submissive to them in putting their needs ahead of your own and you are practicing initiative. Such activity is very pleasing to God and He promises to reward and bless the person who practices such submission.

When we become a submissive servant to our spouse we are expressing a high form of love which is very powerful in causing relationships to get close and strong. Also when we take initiative and meet a need in someone else’s life we earn the right from God to influence that person in their character growth and closeness to Jesus.

Jesus is the ultimate example of this form of submission. He saw that we had a need, our sins needed to be taken care of. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit took initiative, and while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He expressed a strong desire not to go through with dying for us, but it was the only way we could be forgiven so He submitted to our needs over His desire. “ Have this attitude in yourselves that was in Christ Jesus.”