Marriage Devotional: Spiritual Headship
Author: H. Norman Wright
Husbands, love your wives Just as Christ loved the church and
gave Himself up for her to make her holy (Ephesians 5:25,26).
By being the spiritual leader in the home, a husband indicates his concern for his wife‵s spiritual welfare and continual growth. Once again the pattern of Jesus must be considered. He died to take away the sin of each person in the world. He loved the church and gave Himself for it. This model of Christ’s love for the church reaches down into the life of every husband. A husband and father doesn‵t save his family. Only Christ does that. But God holds every husband accountable for the spiritual welfare and atmosphere of the home. The many ingredients and responsibilities of the husband include
• a personal prayer life;
• interaction, reading, and understanding of the Scriptures;
• participation in the local church worship service;
• modeling the proper use of time for his family;
• encouraging his wife to grow in the Scriptures and become involved with other women, taking time out for Bible study groups or weekend conferences that may help her develop spiritual leadership. This also entails providing the funds for this to occur, along with a willing attitude to care for the kids for an entire weekend while she attends the meetings! This is real sacrifice!
• developing spiritual intimacy with his wife. This is a major responsibility, and it means reading the Word together, sharing meaningful spiritual thoughts and experiences, praying together, and letting his wife know that he is praying for her.
This is spiritual leadership. And the blessings benefit both of you. No one said it was easy, but it is worth your time and effort. Let God guide you in this.
