Ephesians 5:21-24

New American Standard Version

21 Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          Dear family of God, because we honor and reverence our Lord, we must be submissive to one another. Wives, you are to willingly submit to your husband’s leadership in the family because you understand that God has given him this responsibility. You see, just as Christ is both the Savior and the Supreme Leader over His Body, the church, and we willingly follow His leadership, so the husband has been charged with giving leadership to his family.

           The wife must set the example for the children in the way that she supports and follows his leadership. Just as we follow Christ out of love for Him and a desire to honor Him, so the wife should follow the husband as he leads – not from coercion or fear but because she loves and trusts her husband and wants to honor him as well as the Lord Himself.

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          It is impossible to overestimate the importance of leadership.  Without leadership, nations decline into anarchy.  Without leadership, businesses fail and fall into bankruptcy.  Without leadership, homes and families become places of painful dysfunction rather than safe harbors from the dangers of this world.  The Christian family is crying for leadership today.

          Leadership in the home does not mean rulership.  Leadership is not giving orders, it’s teaching by example.  Leadership is not exercising your authority, it’s giving your encouragement.  Leadership is imparting values and the reasons behind them.  Leadership wins loyalty and admiration, it doesn’t demand forced obedience.

          Leaders cause those who follow them to look up to them and want to be like them.  Leaders don’t force others to follow them, they inspire them to want to follow.  In many ways, it’s easier to wield power than it is to give leadership.  However, when the power is gone, it leaves scars rather than health.  True leadership helps others to grow and become strong, healthy, independent and subsequently able to give leadership to others.

          God is calling Christian husbands and fathers to become leaders not rulers.  He calls on wives to follow and support the husband’s leadership and to help him become strong where he is weak.  The greatest testimony we can have in our troubled culture is a strong, healthy Christian family.

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Ask the Lord to help you fill your role in the family in exactly the way the Scripture sets forth.  Pray that His Holy Spirit would fill you with wisdom and strength to know those things you are to do to be faithful in the role He’s given you.  Thank Him for the blessing of your family.

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