Honor Marriageনমুনা

Day 5: Husband and Wife Taking Up Their God-Given Roles Honors Marriage

Today the world and culture are deciding what men and women should do in marriage. But the role and responsibilities that God’s word teaches hold good universally. Therefore, we need to know what God’s word says.

In Genesis, God calls Adam to tend and protect the garden of Eden. When God created Eve, He did not give her Eden Garden #2 to care for but asked her only to be a helper suitable for Adam. Since the first marriage failed because of sin, marriage lost its originality. But the Last Adam - Jesus not only redeemed and restored the fallen man, but He also redeemed and restored what the enemy had stolen from the marriage. In his epistles, Paul clarifies the role and responsibility of husband and wife in marriage.

Role of Husband: He is to demonstrate the love of Jesus toward his wife.

He can do so in the following ways:

• Provider - The husband is called to provide for his wife and children (1 Timothy 5:8). He can’t afford to babysit and ask his wife to provide for the family. The world calls it role reversal – when did God reverse it?
• Protector - The husband is called to protect his wife emotionally (1 Peter 3:7), physically and spiritually. He must be careful not to abuse her through words or actions. He should not abdicate his responsibilities to his wife and make her feel stressed and insecure.
• Priest– The husband is called to be a spiritual leader of his family (Ephesians 5:26,27). He should initiate and care for the spiritual atmosphere in the home. He must be willing to set boundaries and correct ungodly actions.
• Lover– The husband’s ministry of love & service begins at home. He should demonstrate the love of Jesus by being a true lover.

Role of Wife: She is called to submit as to Jesus.

• Submit - Some women get offended when they hear the word submit. Men and women think that submission makes women inferior to men. No, submission is basically acknowledging and accepting the God-given headship role of her husband (Ephesians 5:22, 23). It also means that the wife organizes herself under the leadership of her husband.
• Respect & Honor - This means that she considers her husband important and gives importance to what he says. It also means she values and admires him (Ephesians 5:33; 1 Peter 3:1,2). She must honor him with her words as well. Respect and honor begin in the heart.
• Helper suitable – She stands with him, supports him, and helps him become what God intended. She gives him Godly wisdom and counsel through her daily walk with God. She runs the home wisely, being a good steward of what God provides for the family through her husband (Proverbs 31:10-27)
• Lover – Her ministry of love & service begins at home (Titus 2:4)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I can’t fulfil my role without Your help. I need Your wisdom to be a Godly husband/wife. Holy Spirit of God, grant me discernment to know what is right and best for my family. In Jesus’ name, I ask. Amen.