HUSBANDS AND WIVES

Perhaps the most despised message, preached from the Bible in the Church today, concerns the marriage relationship between a husband and wife.  In fact, Pastors are more comfortable preaching on the topics of hell, or tithing, than they are preaching on marriage.  The marriage relationship, so enthusiastically entered into by young folks in love, is so difficult, that its complexity is often the fodder which propels many popular sit-coms, such as "Everybody Loves Raymond."  In addition to the roller-coaster love/hate relationship between Ray and Debra Romano, Ray's parents, Frank and Marie, living across the street, contribute zingy one-liners at each other on every show.

While the show is hilarious, the topic of difficulty within Christian marriages is not!  And, believe it or not, 99% of all marriage problems are caused by Christian husbands!  That's right, I am betraying my brothers, and taking the side of my Christian sisters!  Hear me out.  The Bible tells women to submit to their husbands in three different epistles:
 
*  Eph. 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."
*  Col. 3:18 says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord."
*  1 Pet. 3:1 says, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands...."
*  1 Pet. 3:5 adds, "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands."

And while husbands are quick to point out those verses to their wives, they somehow neglect to read what the Word has to say about their responsibility in the marriage relationship!  Here are some of the verses the same writers had to say to the husbands:

*  Eph. 5:25 reads, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it."
*  Col. 3:19 says, "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."
*  1 Pet. 3:7 reads, "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."

It has been my observation that when I treat my wife with a self-sacrificing love, similar to that of Christ willingly going to the cross for me, she has absolutely no difficulty submitting to me.  For, if I act like Him, she will want to follow my lead; if I act like Paul Mutschler, I should not expect her to do anything but detest me.  Thank God, for He is making born again husbands into the likeness of His Son (Phil. 1:6)!  The only problem is, we will not be fully like Him until we are present with Him (1 Jn. 3:2)!

So, until then, both husbands and wives need to practice forgiveness, and understand why their mate is still human; both males and females often have motes in their eyes at times (Mt. 7:3-5)!