Values of an EntrepreneurSýnishorn

Family

This is a challenging verse no matter which way you slice it. Husband, wife, man, woman. The command is hard—submit.

And let’s be honest, few people are worse at this than entrepreneurs. We want what we want and we do what it takes to get it. Plain and simple. If we have to work 70 hours this week to make sure the job gets done, then we will. But if we’re failing to submit to our spouse in order to chase our business, we’re missing out on one of God’s toughest commands AND one of His biggest blessings.

We may wish this verse said “submit to your work,” but it just doesn’t. The truth is that if you’ve committed to marriage, you’ve committed to a life of submission. Your job is to serve your spouse—an act that serves and glorifies God in and of itself.

So, how do we do that? We instill a culture that says there are no heroics in staying in the office late at the expense of family. We prioritize one night a week that’s dedicated date night. Get a babysitter and spend the evening loving and affirming your spouse.

Aside from date night, ake putting the kids to bed at night a priority. if the work still has to get done, get back online once the kids have gone to bed. And still, before we go back, tell our spouse how grateful we are for their sacrifice in letting us build a business and grow a venture that we love. 

This isn’t going to happen naturally. In fact, submitting to someone else is probably the least natural thing a person can do. But when we partner with our spouse—when we view them as an aid to our work, not as an obstacle—we get to experience the closest thing we can find to Christ-like love this side of heaven.

Further Thought

• What are some ways you’ve successfully submitted to your spouse recently? What are some ways you’ve failed?
• Why does this verse say that submitting to our spouse is something we do out of reverence for Christ? What does that mean?
• How can you create a culture within your company where everyone sees the importance of not sacrificing family for business success?