#DailyDevotion How Christian Wives Should Live With Their Husbands

Eph. 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

 

So, this isn’t particularly popular these days. You rarely see such behavior on TV shows and movies. There the woman is in charge and bossing the husband around (though husbands shouldn’t be bossy either). Who wants to submit to anyone? No one really. But verse 22 is followed by verse 21 which tells all Christians to submit to one another. In this and the next chapter Paul describes what that looks like.

 

So Paul starts with wives. How are wives to submit to their husbands? They are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord. In a marriage situation, someone needs to lead and take responsibility. That should be the husband. The Lord has made him head of the body of the family even as Christ is the head of his body the Church. As Christ is the head and savior of the Church so likewise the husband is head and savior of the body which is his marriage.

 

For the sake of Christ then, wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Yes even if they disagree with them. This is pleasing to God. This does not mean the wife doesn’t get to discuss things with her husband. It doesn’t mean the husband shouldn’t give his wife a hearing before he makes a decision. Indeed, in a healthy marriage this should take place. But decisions need to be made and someone has to take responsibility for those decisions. And the one who takes responsibility and also takes the blame if things don’t work out right is the husband.

 

The husband and wife are one flesh. They are one like Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. As the Son submits to the Father in everything, the wife is to submit to her husband. Paul concludes this line of teaching with wives respect your husbands. How much better many marriages would be if the wife respected her husband. Instead of putting him down in public, bad mouthing him on social media or among all her friends, how much better would the relationship be if the wife showed her husband respect especially in public and just confided in one trustworthy friend about the things bothering her.

 

Peter in similar fashion teaches the same thing, 1Pe 3:1-6 “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, (2)  when they see your respectful and pure conduct….(4)  but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. (5)  For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, (6)  as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”

 

Heavenly Father, grant you Holy Spirit to all wives of faith that they may images of the Church of your Son Jesus Christ so they may joyfully submit to their husbands in everything and have a blessed marriage. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.