Husband's are not to be frustrated, angry, bitter, resentful, demanding, demeaning or abusive towards their wives. They are to be kind, gentle, nurturing and protective in their words and actions.
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them accordi…
Husband's are not to be frustrated, angry, bitter, resentful, demanding, demeaning or abusive towards their wives. They are to be kind, gentle, nurturing and protective in their words and actions.
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. 1 Pet 3:7
As the leader, the husband is held by God to a stricter standard. They are expected to serve their wives which is more difficult than submission. The wife is only commanded by God to submit to and obey her husband. The husband is commanded to be proactive, to serve his wife, meet her needs, to love her, cherish her, give of himself to her. This is a much harder task than submission and obedience. The wife only has to do what is asked. The husband is required by God to seek out what his wife needs and meet those needs as Christ did for the Church.
It is not the man's position to focus on whether or not the woman is submitting and obeying him. It is not his position to identify fault, or demand change. The man's focus is on letting God make him into the husband God wants him to be. The leader and representative of Christ in the home. The man is the priest of the home. It is his role to serve, love, lead, teach, pray for, pray with and minister to his wife and family.
The man's responsibility is to serve his wife, whether or not she submits and chooses to obey him. Christ served man and woman when they did not submit to Him and didn't deserve His Love. Christ died for man and woman even though they were in rebellion against Him. The man has been asked by God to pick up his cross and follow Christ in His suffering.
As the man focuses on letting God make him in to the husband God wants him to be, the wife focuses on letting God make her into the kind of wife and help meet that God wants her to be. As she submits to God, and seeks His will over her own, she will naturally begin to submit to her husband as she seeks to honor God through her submission. The man seeks to honor God through serving his wife.
Be aware of anyone who teaches wives to submit and obey their husbands without teaching the husbands to serve their wives. This is doctrine of man, not scripture.
God expects more from men than women. Men are to be leaders who obey God even better than their wives and be an example of Christ's leadership to their wives. Scripture commands husbands to lay down their lives for their wives as Christ laid down His Life for the church. Just as Christ washed the feet of His Disciples, men are to wash the feet of their wives. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve.
Being the head of the household is a huge responsibility. It is not sitting around expecting the wife to wait on or serve, but rather leading is taking an active helping role in the relationship. It means doing things you hate to do simply because you love your wife. The leader is the servant in the home.
When both husband and wife put Jesus Christ first in all aspects of their lives, everything falls in to place. The wife willingly submits and obeys and the husband serves, provides and protects. It is God's Plan for relationships.
Women need to be loved and cherished, and men need to be respected. As the husband serves his wife, she in turn submits to him – not because she has to, but because she wants to. As the wife submits to her husband and she sees that he is cherishing her, affirming her, and serving her in response to the respect that she is giving him - without grief – but with great joy. Then, both spouses receive a precious gift from God.
