As we go about our daily lives sometime we may forget or not even pay attention to the little things that are important to God.  So I would like to bring something back to your remembrance.  As a married man with kids sometime it is very easy for me to stop focusing on the first institution that God created (Which is marriage), and focus on all the other things that is going on in my life.  I am sure that I am not the only person that does this.  But the fact of the matter is that if a Man is not being the husband that God intended or a Woman is not being the wife that God intended, then we are chasing after things that are carnal in nature.  As Christians we must understand that we are in a spiritual warfare and it is essential that we follow the instructions for our commander in Chief.  So now the common question is what is a good husband or wife.  The verse that we help you start to understand your responsibilities is Ephesians 5:22-33.

After reading this passage of scripture lets take a look at the primary role of each person starting with the Wife first.  As you can see the wife primary role is to submit to her husband as stated in verse 22.  Many women get offended when they hear that they must submit to there husbands.  This in no way means that you are lower than your husband it means that he is the one responsible for the family.  In other words if something is not done in the family the husband is the one held responsible for that so it is important to give him the right to make decision.  Also remember that we are in Warfare, and if you have any experience with the military you understand how important the chain of command is.  God will give your husband instructions on how to best lead your family and it is your job to take all of the skills and abilities that God gave you to help him carry out those instructions.  Another thing that this passage touches on is the connection between the Home and Church.  Just as a Church should follow the directions of Jesus, a wife should follow the direction of her husband out of respect for Jesus.  There is one thing that I wanted to point out before I discuss the man’s role, I would like to remind woman that even if you have an idiot for a husband your role doesn’t change your submission is to God, who requires that you submit to your husband.  And maybe through your submission God will change that idiot to a genuine man.

Most men read this passage and think that all they have to do is love there wife.  In fact the role of the man is very important. As a man you must lead your family toward Christ.  As you read our example of being a husband is Jesus and his connection to the church.  On scripture that always stands out with me is that Jesus himself said that he came not to serve but to be served.  So we can see that our role as a husband is a servant leader.  We must love and lead our wife through our service and sacrifice.  Another thing to remember is that submission is not yours to command but is for your wife to volunteer.   Jesus doesn’t make us follow his lead but he allows us to choose to follow him.  In this same manner a man should never force a woman to listen to him, but allow her the option to follow and explain the benefits of following your lead.  We must also always place our wife first above all else.  This includes your friends, sports, and kids this can be very difficult for us to comprehend.

I hope this help you in your walk with Christ.  Remember to stay strong in Christ and always allow Him to lead your life.