The partnership that is called marriage...

Today – I write a new type of message. A message of one that many disagree on. A message that is guided for one to live “the good life”. A message that most likely will be misunderstood. A message that will likely be ignored or disregarded.

The message today is one pertaining to marriage. One that talks about the partnership of marriage, but shows how that partnership is to take place.

Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  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. 

Now – I'd like to point out something. Yes – wives submit to your husbands. What I'd like to first off note – is it's stating wives. Not girlfriends, not fiancées, but Wives. Wives – prior to marriage you were most likely already submitting to the man anyways – the only thing changing now is you're married.

Yes, if your husband were to ask you to clean take the car to the garage for an appointment – you should do it.

The same concept applies with Jesus and the church. Jesus asked Peter to throw in the net eventhough Peter had been fishing all day and caught nothing. This time he caught something. Amazing! It just shows that some of the greatest things happen as an outcome when your husband asks you to do something. You shouldn't doubt this nor be scared of this.

Now – does this mean in anyway by submitting to your husband, that he has the right to verbally abuse you, beat you, yell at you, or make you go and commit crimes? Absolutely not!

Ephesians 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Interesting eh? The Bible not only tells a woman to submit to their husband – BUT then tells the husband how to treat his wife and all in the same chapter! Wives, future wives, women – let me tell you, if you think submitting to your husband is tough, try loving a woman in the way that Jesus did. What am I trying to say?

Imagine yourself for a moment as Jesus. You come to earth and your main responsibility is to save Israel. You come to do and do nothing but love Israel with all that you can. Israel says to the authorities “Crucify that person”. So you get whipped, and whipped and whipped, and then carry a cross all across your section of your city. You then get nailed to it. What are you thinking in your head right now?

Jesus says “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.

That is the type of love that a man is to have for his wife.

Am I here to say one of these lives is more difficult than the other? Not at all. What I'm trying to say is both of these lives are just as difficult as one another. The purpose of marriage is to understand these difficulties and to be a partner for your spouse and help them through their roles and responsibilities.

Wives – if you don't submit to your husband, what do you think will happen? He'll go look for someone who will submit to him.

Husbands – if you don't love your wives, what do you think will happen? She'll go and look for someone else to love her.

Husbands! This is a big problem. I can't speak from a woman's perspective, but I can talk from a man's perspective and that perspective is this. If you're lucky enough, your wife won't leave you because you're not providing the love to her that she needs. The issue is where is she getting this love from? Do you have kids? She's probably seeking love from children. The problem is – children can't provide the love that she needs, and they were never created with that intention. That's your responsibility.

If you're not willing to accept that responsibility – than my advice to you is this: Don't get married.

Yes we all fail. Yes we all have our own issues – BUT men, if you are willing to accept the responsibility, get married. If you find the wife who will submit to you – she will help you on this journey. She will help pick you back up when you slip up. The thing is – you have to be willing to accept the responsibility which is to put your wife first before the rest of the world.

Women – next time you hear someone say – submit to your husbands. Don't think it's a bad thing. It really isn't. Imagine a man loving you so much that he puts you first ahead of everyone and everything.

That is love. If a man is willing to love you like that – what are you most likely to do? Submit to him and do his every will...