Making Marriages Work

Larry R. Ping II

Marriage is not something to be taken lightly (Matthew 19:6). It is to be entered into with serious and sober thoughts (Ephesians 5:21-31). For a marriage to be successful, both the husband and wife MUST perform their God given responsibilities. Are you doing as God asks?

1) The Husband Must Take The Headship Role. God calls on the husband to be the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23). Unfortunately, some men have taken this verse to mean they are the dictators of the family, and this is NOT SO! A real man who is a real husband is a leader of the family. He provides for them (I Timothy 5:8) in every way possible. A husband’s and father’s role is to help lead his family to heaven, to give them the best possible chance to get there. So men, are you the kind of leader worthy of following?

2) The Wife Must Take The Submissive Role. The Almighty calls on the wife to be in subjection to her husband in “every thing” (Ephesians 5:24). The idea here is that the wife will respect her husband enough to allow him to make the decisions in the marriage. Does this mean that the wife has no input whatsoever? Of course not! A good and smart leader always takes into consideration the thoughts of others. The wife will not try to take over the headship of the home, but will meekly add in her thoughts and follow the head.

3) The Marriage Will Always Work If True Love Is Present. Marriage demands that love is present. This shines the light upon the importance of finding the right mate. The husband loves the wife so much that he would willingly give his life for her (Ephesians 5:25). Where there is no love, there is no communication. Where there is no communication, there is nothing.

4) The Husband And Wife Will Grow Closer To Each Other As They Each Grow Closer To God. The centerpiece of any marriage is that God is present in the union (Ephesians 5:21). The husband and wife both must grow in the grace of God (II Peter 3:18) and in so doing, they each will grow closer to each other. May we all do our best in making our marriages work!