Wives Honoring Their Husbands
Good, strong marriages are vital for the success of any culture. God ordained marriage to be the union of a man and a woman that is the be the closest possible human relationship. Therefore, it is to last as long as they live, and the relationship should get closer and closer over the years. This is not easy, but it is well worth the effort it takes to have a strong marriage. There are a multitude of benefits for the couple and for their family when this ideal is achieved. This is why we must make following God's order for marriage a priority. If we try to do it by our own rules, we will fail to have a strong marriage. One of the parts of God's order for marriage is that the husband is the head, and the wife is to honor her husband by being submissive to him. Most of the time people in non-Christian cultures realize this, too. We read in Esther about the Persian king, whose wife dishonored him by not coming to his banquet to show his guests her great beauty. His officials knew that could cause many women not to honor their husbands all over the kingdom. (Esther 1:20) They decided the king would issue a decree throughout his vast kingdom, so all women would honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least. I believe there is a truth here that we need to comprehend and apply in our lives.
Men and women are equal before God. Men are not superior to women, nor are women superior to me. However, men are very different from women, and there are things men can do that women can't do, and vis versa. God created Adam first, and He put him in charge of keeping the Garden of Eden. Then, God made Eve from Adam, and she was designed to complete him, not to rule over him. Therefore, when a husband and wife work together as God designed, they will have a strong marriage. God designed men to be the ones to take the lead when necessary. Hopefully, the husband and wife will prayerfully consider each decision and agree together. However, when they fail to agree, the wife should honor her husband by submitting to him, and allow God to correct her husband. This works much better than the wife trying to force her leadership minded husband to do things her way, since that goes against God's order. This is why Ephesians 5 calls for the wife to respect her husband and for the husband to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The husband will respond to respect or honor, but he will not respond well to disrespect. Then, if he loves his wife in this way, he will always do what is best for her and listen to her. I know this is controversial today, but it is God's absolute truth, so it is true anywhere, any time, and in any culture.
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Tomorrow, I intend to read Esther 2-4.