How to Protect Your WifeSýnishorn

Different roles in marriage

Some years ago, an elderly brother in Christ said to me that I should not allow any man to pick a fight with my wife. He said I should step in and defend her if she is threatened verbally or in any other way. Being a younger man then, I felt a sense of pride well up in my heart when pondering the privilege that the Lord had bestowed on me to be my spouse’s protector.

What I came to realise was that I differed substantially from my wife in how she processes things, and this is a direct result of who God has made me to be. 

An example of this would be in how we differ with regard to practicality versus beauty. I would not so care for presentation as I would care for practicality. For example, the positioning of a certain item – in my mind, a glass bowl should be placed in a safe spot where it cannot be bumped off the display cabinet, even if it means that it does not get displayed at all! In my mind, it could come crashing off the display cupboard, break into pieces and then my wife and children could accidentally cut their feet. This illustrates how my wiring as a man is more about the safety and protection of my wife and family.

I believe God has intentionally wired us to be like this because we have a different role to fulfill as husbands in marriage. I must admit that I love it when my wife transforms a simple and silly looking room into something beautiful and lovely—even though I would not agree practically with the positioning of every item!

I believe God has equipped every husband with the fortitude and insight to see the danger from far off and warn his spouse to caution. As we represent Christ in marriage and our wives represent the Church, our protection of our wives should encompass much more than just physical protection. We know this because Christ’s protection encompasses more than the physical well-being of his bride, the Church.