“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1st Peter 3:7)
My lovely wife has skills that I could never hope to attain to, she has the ability to retain and recall information at will, having memorized over one hundred verses from the Scriptures, and, although she is not nearly adept at the sports that she enjoys following in the same regard as she once was, this also is an incredible memorization fact she possesses.
But she is not overly observant, and she is not a conversationalist, two traits I have been blessed with.
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18)
This was perhaps the first negative emotion ever experienced, and I believe the Lord let it occur on purpose. After the animals were brought before Adam to be named, possibly two by two, Adam felt loneliness, and because of that emotion, when she was brought to him, he adored his wife above measure.
My friends, Satan’s first attack on any nation is not the destruction of the family, it is the lessening of men expressing themselves as men, and the women attempting to usurp the authority of the man as the head of the household. And if you will but look around for only a few minutes, you will see that he is succeeding in this endeavor.
If you are the man of the house, and if that household serves the Living God, and you are not the Spiritual head of that household, then I have one word to say to you.
Shame.
You can let your wife, as mine does, make out the checks for the bills at the end of each month if that makes her more comfortable, but you had better know the amount of what you owe at the end of that month. If she is occupied and the floors need to be vacuumed, guess what you are going to do.
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Eph. 5:25)
If you have children I will let you decide who is going to raise them, your wife whilst you labor, or the education system and then a babysitter because she also works outside of the home, but know this, it does not matter what happens in that house, it is your responsibility to ensure that things flow as smoothly as possible, and you will be held accountable by the Lord if they do not.
If you want her to treat you like a man then do not act like one, be one.
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” (Eph. 5:23)
How is your wife growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, by only reading the Scriptures or by listening and watching you? Who do those you are responsible for see you serving, yourself, them or Christ?
Do not expect them to follow you if you are not following the Lord Jesus Christ, it will not happen. And if you are not and claim to be born-again, then again, I hand this word to you. Shame.
If you serve the Almighty then your service starts with you towards Him, your wife comes next, then if you have been blessed with them, your children. Men who do not behave themselves always as men of God are not men, and that is exactly what Satan is attempting to do.
Will there be difficulties, turmoil and strife? If you are married, I do not need to ask you that question, do I?
She is your help meet, your helper, because we need one, a man’s straight forwardness in most matters needs to be tempered, his strength at times must be confronted with weakness, his ego must be hindered by compassion. No woman is going to respect her husband as in the manner expressed in the Scriptures if he does not have the backbone to stand up for his principles, if he does not stand firmly on the Rock of his salvation.
