By Lisa Wilmore
Greetings to All!
Grace and peace be unto you! It is my pleasure and blessing to greet you in the only name that matters- Jesus, the Christ, our Everlasting, Eternal and Endless Savior. His love has shown bright once again on this day as Scripture reminds us that “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:8a). Thanks be to God!
As we know, many books have been written that offer advice on how husbands and wives can build effective marriages as they journey through life. Of course, these books and journals can provide valuable lessons and information to strengthen marriages, if individuals are truly interested in creating a sustainable relationship with their spouse. However, the greatest guide we can turn to as Christians for a successful marriage is God’s Holy Word, the Bible. In the Bible, God specifically instructs husbands, saying, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it…” (Ephesians 5:25-33). This is God’s will for the wife–to be loved in the same way Christ loved the church. Anything less than that kind of love is not God’s will and must be corrected if a husband is to be the “Christian husband” that God has called him to be.
God is a giver of good gifts. In fact, He has gifted husbands with the authority to lead, love, and care for their wives. This precious gift allows husbands the opportunity to bring out the best in their wives. If a husband loves and leads as God requires, his wife will have no problem following and respecting his God-given role. The responsibility of leading and loving is great for a husband, which is why he must actively seek God’s will for both his life and his wife’s life. In his book “The Christian Husband”, Bob Lepine (1999) writes, “We have been given the responsibility to care for the spiritual, emotional, physical, and social needs of our wives. Our authority and leadership are never focused on any benefit we might receive in the process. We are to use our authority to glorify God, to advance the work of His kingdom, and to lead our wives in growing in grace and Christlikeness” (Lepine, 136).
Sometimes, in marriages, wives may feel provoked, annoyed, angry, or frustrated due to unresolved issues. This is not the time to ignore her frustrations, but rather the time to love and lead her to understanding, while seeking God’s direction. “A husband who wants to love his wife well must learn what it means to bear, believe, hope, and endure” (1 Cor. 13:7). When a wife is loved in this way, she will submit. Thank God for gifting husbands with the authority to lead and love their wives. When done well, God is pleased.
