Reaching the Community

God has instituted within the family roles that work according to His plan. When these roles are understood and honored, the family can function as God intended. Just as God has placed within the church certain roles of leadership and function that meet His design, He has done the same within the family. Neither in the church nor in the family do these roles indicate that one person is more important than the other. God has placed the man in the role of head of his wife (1 Cor. 11:3). When a Christian man understands his role as the head of his wife (and thus his family), he will be better able to fulfill God’s purpose and have a more fulfilling marriage. Too many men abdicate their role as the head of their family. When this happens, the burden of filling this role falls upon the wife or goes neglected. The man who understands his role as the head of his wife will not seek to lord over his wife, but rather cherish and honor her (1 Peter 3:7). As the head of the family it is incumbent upon the man to be the provider for his family (1 Tim. 5:8). While this responsibility may be shared by both spouses, the burden lies upon the man. God has designed the wife's role as the keeper of the home (Titus 2:5; 1 Tim. 5:14). Honoring these roles creates an environment that encourages the marriage to flourish.

The differences between men and women are manifested physically, emotionally, and psychologically. God made men and women different for a reason, and that reason is evident in the roles God has placed them in within the family. Women are physically and emotionally equipped to fulfill the role of the caregiver in the home. Men are likewise equipped to provide for and protect the home. These differences should complement each other and, when in harmony, create a strong union around which the family prospers. The Christian man should seek to understand how his wife thinks, what triggers her emotions, what her vulnerabilities are, and what she seeks from him in their marriage. Wives likewise need to understand their husbands. The key to such understanding is communication. With this key, a couple can unlock the mysteries surrounding their differences and learn to meet the needs and challenges that stem from them. Husbands, remember your wife is your partner, your lover, your helper, your life companion. Seek to understand her mysteries. Seek to fulfill her needs. Talk to her. Provide for her. Protect her. Hold her. Cherish her. Reassure her. Affirm her. Love her. Lead her to Heaven. You are her man, but more importantly, you are God’s man. God has blessed you with your wife and has given you a charge to be her head and to treasure her heart. Remember, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD” (Prov. 18:22 NKJV).

With love, Michael