Godly Success In Marriage

Godly Success in Marriage - Part 2

Part 2

Belief 2: Understand and celebrate the roles of a man and woman in marriage

This is not a popular subject, but the farther we stray from biblical truth, the more of a mess we make in our society. Both the husband and wife have dogmatic commands from God as to who they are to be and what they are to do within marriage. In every environment – whether on the job, in a game, or in a home – everyone needs to know their roles before you start.

As to marriage, God has spoken very clearly. Adam is created first and then Eve. Adam is called the head. Eve is called the body. Husbands are called the head of their wives as Christ is to the church; and wives are called to submit, to willingly place themselves underneath the wing of their husbands. Husbands lead; wives have input, give opinions, or lovingly challenge, but wives follow. You can’t have two masters, and God has said that males lead.

After working with men and women for twenty-five years, all the notions of the radical feminists don’t wash. Every woman who has a passive, lackadaisical husband is frustrated.

If you are a woman reading this book, give me a minute before you throw it in the fireplace. How is a man supposed to lead biblically? He should love his wife like Christ loved the church. The way to lead is to die. A man should daily give up his life for this woman that God has so graciously given him. That’s the way you lead. In all my years I have known very few women who had a problem submitting to a man on a cross.

Those are the rules. If you’re a man, you might be saying, “Tom, can we reverse those, please? How about if I let her run things and I’ll be submissive.” No, God’s edicts fit perfectly with the constitution of men and women. The husband should sacrificially lead and the wife should be respectful.....



Questions for discussion:

What happens in a marriage when spouses forget their roles or responsibilities? Has this ever happened to you? What did you learn?

Verses for meditation:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. “ (Ephesians 5:22-33)

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. " (Colossians 3:18-19)

posted by Lighthouse @ 1:15 PM