What Is God's Role for a Wife?

Before we can answer that specific question, we have to take a step back and remind ourselves what responsibilities God has given to all his children, not just to wives.  In Ephesians 5, St. Paul reminds all of God’s people to mimic their heavenly Father by living lives of love.  This love, he goes on to explain will often show itself in the way each Christian will put the needs of others ahead of his or her own.  This submission to others is a mutual submission and always an expression of love.

While every Christian will seek to love others as Christ has loved him, and while every Christian will submit to the needs of others as an expression of that love, a Christian wife is called to do this in a very specific way in her marriage.  Jesus wants the Christian wife to mimic his church, the gathering of all believers, which gladly and willingly submits to Christ and to his loving leadership.  The Christian wife will gladly and willingly submit to the loving leadership of her husband.

So, Jesus says, a Christian wife will show her love for her husband by helping him be the Christ-like leader God wants him to be.  Rather than robbing her husband of this opportunity to love her as Christ does and rather than allowing her husband to avoid his responsibilities, a Christian wife will encourage him to step up and provide godly leadership by willingly and gladly submitting to that leadership. 

No one wants to be a target of ridicule, especially not a person who is supposed to lead.  However, if a person is confident that people will actually follow his lead, he is more likely to step up.  A Christian wife helps and encourages her husband by following and submitting to his leadership.  This is the unique way that a Christian wife shows her love for her husband.

When she loves in this way, she paints a beautiful picture for her husband and for her children, of the way believers willingly and gladly follow Christ as he leads them to their heavenly home.  What a great role to fill!

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