Sub-Mission - Part 2
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).
This tip goes out to all the husbands, but wives can certainly learn from it too. Men: as I stated last week, we are called to have a mission, or end goal, for our marriage. By “end,” I mean the goal(s) towards which we strive and which we hope to reach at the time of our death. At the end of our lives, we will face one of two outcomes: heaven or hell. God’s design for marriage involves a man and a woman uniting themselves fully and committing to helping one another reach heaven. Because of this, guiding your wife and children on the path to eternal life ought to be the central focus for your marital mission.
How might such a lofty goal be achieved? This week’s passage of Ephesians 5 gives us a few pointers. It sets out two main directives: Love our wives as Christ loves us and build a home that nurtures holiness. This may seem like a tall order, but all things are possible when we work hard to cooperate with God’s grace. In the action step for this week, I have included a few questions intended to help you reflect on practical ways in which you can foster faith in your home.
God will judge us on how we loved those entrusted to our care. We are called to lead our families to Christ. That is done not through command, manipulation, or anger, but rather through building a home that exemplifies God’s love. May we work tirelessly towards this goal so that, when we see Christ face to face, we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Thank you for caring for my beloved children whom I entrusted to you!”
ACTION STEP: Consider the following questions and spend time in prayer asking God how you can increase your efforts to bring His love into your home.
Do you have a strong relationship with Christ, or are you actively working towards building one? Are you first drawing on His strength so you have the wisdom to lead your family towards God?
Do you lead the charge for keeping Christ and prayer as a central part of your family’s life? How can you bring prayer more fully into your home?
Do you support your wife in her efforts to cultivate faith in your children, or do you undermine her work through your words or example?
Do you model gentleness, patience, understanding, truthfulness, unity, and compassion in your home, or is it a place of chaos, yelling, and division? In what ways can you better lead by example in these areas?
Are you willing to die to yourself, meaning that you will sacrifice your “wants” in order to meet the needs of your wife and children? Have you been selfish with your time and energy, consistently prioritizing yourself over your family?