Biblical Responsibilities of A Husband…
1. Be An Imitator of God In Your Friendship With Your Wife: that is, live a life of love/sacrifice to God and for your wife, from the marriage bed to helping with household chores and everything in between (verses 1-2);
2. Love Your Wife: that is, not just romantically but in the same way that Jesus’ loves His church—sacrificially, selflessly, consistently, genuinely, and with the same devotion for which you take care of yourself (verses 25-30, 33);
3. Leave Your Parents and Cling To Your Wife: that is, make your relationship with your wife more important than every other earthly relationship (except for God)(verse 31);
4. Be Considerate of Your Wife: that is, consider her before yourself—think about her needs, her desires, her wants, and the impact your decisions have on her (verse 7);
5. Treat Your Wife With Respect: that is, honor your wife—perform actions and speak words that show her and others what an amazing woman she is. Handle your wife with care, compassion, and gentleness—use actions and words that are soothing, encouraging, edifying, uplifting, words and actions that strengthen, propel, and build her up as a wife, woman, and mother (verse 7).
6. Treat Your Wife As A Co-Heir of Jesus’ Gift of Eternal Life: that is, remember that your wife’s name and soul are written directly and specifically into the “living will” of God, that she, like you, will inherit an eternal life of joy and peace in the presence of God forever. Treat her as if she is a masterpiece of God, for indeed that is what she is. If we could drive a celebrity’s car for a weekend or live in their house for a week, we would make certain to take extra-special care of such a gift/privilege. If we would take such care of another person’s object, how much more should we take care of one of God’s daughters, made in His image and loved by Him…(verse 7)
7. Husbands Are To Be Temperate: that is, to not be extreme (in the negative sense) but to be balanced in that which is holy, good, positive, true, noble, godly, etc. (verse 2);
8. Husbands Are To Be Worthy of Respect: that is, a husband is to “put his money where his mouth is,” to “walk the talk,” and to earn through his words/actions the good reputation that he should have with others (verse 2);
9. Husbands Are To Be Self-Controlled: that is, husbands are to submit their instincts, passions, wills, desires, and reactions to the control of the Spirit of God and to the guideline of His Word (the Bible) (verse 2);
10. Husbands Are To Be Sound In Faith: that is, husbands are to have an active, deep, genuine, true, and sturdy faith in Jesus that lines up with 4,000 years of accepted Biblical teaching (verse 2);
11. Husbands Are To Be Sound In Love: that is, a husband is to have an active, deep, genuine, true, consistent, and sturdy love for his wife that rests not on feelings but on a personal choice, made before they were even married, to treat her as a true daughter of the King (verse 2);
12. Husbands Are To Be Sound In Endurance: that is, husbands must realize that marriage is a marathon not a sprint and must be dedicated to pressing on even when they feel like giving up (verse 2).
And I love being your wife…!
🙂