What it means is that the spiritual trajectory, moral structure, values, and vision of the family should be spearheaded by the husband. Does this mean that women are not permitted to labor with their husbands, seek the Lord, have goals or dreams, or share in the responsibilities of raising a family? Of course not. What this means, however, as we’ve seen play out throughout history, is that, because of sin, women often seek to dominate and rule over their husbands, usurping the man’s role as the spiritual leader of the home. Similar verbiage is used to describe the way sin sought to “rule over Cain” and how Cain would need to learn to master and rule over it ( Genesis 4:7). Wives also are not immune from their own sinful nature, which makes it difficult for many women to properly submit to their husband’s leadership.Īs God told Eve in the Garden of Eden, “your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” ( Genesis 3:16). The Bible makes clear from the creation account that men and women are both made in the image of God and therefore created with intrinsic, equal worth ( Genesis 1:26).
#STRIFE BIBLE STUDY FREE#
God does not give men free reign to be domineering, selfish, abusive, or cruel to their wives either. That is not what the biblical definition of spiritual leadership entails. Nowhere in Scripture does God claim that husbands are inherently superior, smarter, or more valuable than their wives, which earns them the mantle of leadership.
However, husbands are ordained by God to be the spiritual leader and heads of their respective households, whether society or individual men and women choose to accept it or not. In many circles, even suggesting that a husband is ordained by God to be the spiritual leader of his home will be met with outrage and derision. Modern wisdom, both in and outside of the church, often decries the notion of male leadership as patriarchy and submission as oppression. What a Spiritual Leader Does Not Look Like But what does this mean and actually look like? In the Bible, we see that God first ordains husbands to be the spiritual leaders and shepherds in their marriages. Therefore, before a man can become an effective shepherd to his children, he must first learn to be a godly shepherd to his wife. Raising godly children, however, is only part of what being a leader in the home entails. There are responsibilities that belong to husbands and fathers, not simply pastors or other ministers. Husbands must lead by example, leading their wives and children in prayer, worship, and the study of God’s Word. No one bears more responsibility for the spiritual trajectory of his household than the spiritual leader of the home, the husband. And guess what? The effectiveness of godly men as leaders in the church begins with how effective they are at leading as husbands and fathers in their own homes ( Titus 1:6-7). It also is why, in his letters to the early church, the apostle Paul laid out the requirements for overseers and elders in the church. Godly parents must teach their children the good works of God for them to pass on to their children and future generations ( Deuteronomy 6:1-15). If religion dies out in the family, it cannot elsewhere be maintained.” (706)Īs husbands and wives work as “one flesh” ( Genesis 2:23) to disciple their children in the ways of the Lord, they train them to become future ambassadors of the gospel. What Does It Mean That Husbands Are “Spiritual Leaders”?Ĭharles Hodge, the former president of Princeton Theological Seminary writes, “the character of the Church and of the state depends on the character of the family. As marriage rates plummet, divorce rates skyrocket, and the desire of young husbands and wives to have children declines, the spiritual well-being of our society is in a state of crisis. Unfortunately, it’s not a secret to say that marriage, like the family, has been under assault since the Garden of Eden. “So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth” ( Malachi 2:15). “An excellent wife, who can find her? For her worth is far above jewels” ( Proverbs 31:10). “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” ( Proverbs 12:4). “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” ( Proverbs 18:22). In fact, for husbands specifically, the Bible speaks of how deeply a man should treasure his wife and marriage: It is an institution established and upheld by God, and one that is rich in its illustrative nature and sanctifying purpose. Of course, the Bible does not hold back in expressing God’s view of the sanctity of marriage either.
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