The Biblical Roles of the Wife in Marriage

As it has been shared in a previous article heree, marriage is the coming together of two people. These two people are completely different and have been brought together by this union. To make this union a peaceful and effective one, it is good that there are roles for the parties. 

These roles have been given to these individuals to help them live an effective life. In summary, the reasons for these roles are to have orderliness, to be a partner to each other, to foster peace in marriage, and also because the Bible supports these roles. 

Having said that, let’s delve into the role of the wife in marriage. 

1. She is a Partner to her Husband

Starting off with what a partner means would give a better insight into this role. A partner is a companion, a reliable person, a helper, someone who is loyal to you, and someone you can do life with. In this case, a partner is also someone to whom you are emotionally attached. 

From the beginning of time, God created Eve to be a helper and companion to Adam. A dig into the scripture would show this; Genesis 2:18 (MSG): God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” It is spelled out already, a wife, just like Eve, is to be a helper, and since God found it necessary for the wife to be a helper, then it is only right for the wife to act accordingly. According to the text above, it is stated that the Lord said it is not good for a man to be alone. This further explains that the wife is to be an emotional support to the husband. 

The husband has been saddled with his own responsibility as a leader, and the woman is being considered to help the man as he leads the home. There is a reason why organizations have a head and subhead, it is to enhance the smooth running of the business. The same goes here. 

2. She submits to her husband

This particular role will be dwelled on extensively as people have twisted this overtime to suit their different narratives. Firstly, wives have been instructed to submit to their husbands as seen in different scriptures in the bible. For the sake of emphasis, let us look at Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

As seen in the above scripture, a wife is to submit as the husband is to love his wife. Submission in this case in no way means slavery, it simply means to acknowledge the husband as the head of the house. Anything other than this means it is not marriage but a bondage and that isn’t what we were called to do. Since a husband is to love the wife like Christ loves the church, will it then be proper for the husband to rule like a dictator and make his wife feel like she is bondage? No, definitely not, that is why as christians we should understand the meaning of the roles in the context we have been given.

Conclusively, being submissive doesn’t make the woman lesser than the man and doesn’t make the man superior to the woman. 

3. Respect and Love her husband

As a wife, you are to respect your husband at all times, not sometimes but at all times. It is an instruction that has been given to us as seen in Ephesians 5:33: However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

To respect your husband is to have due regard for him, his thought process, and everything in general. Since he is the head of the household, sometimes you may not see eye to eye on some issues. As you try to make him understand your point of view, you are in no position to disrespect him at all. 

Apart from being respectful, the wife should also love her husband. I mean, what would be the essence of the marriage if it was only the husband who loved the wife? To be in a union with an individual, you must love the other person just as much or even more than you love yourself. The union cannot run on the love shown by one person; one sided love won’t suffice in this situation. It will only be a recipe for a breakup. 

Lastly, there is an instruction that has been given to both the husband and the wife. This must be followed, because it is a major reason why some homes are broken. Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Both the husband and the wife owe it to themselves to be faithful in this union. This is a sacred union that must not be tempered with. 

Having looked at all these roles, there are some points that should be noted.

Points to Consider:

The institution of marriage was created by God, and it has been extensively discussed in the Bible. One of the things that birthed marriage was the man’s need for a companion. When one is a companion or a partner, especially in this context, it is important to note that both parties need each other in the marriage; there is no one who needs the other person more. 

Secondly, there is no right or wrong way to go about your marriage as long as God is at the center of it. But it is good to have a guide on how things should be done, and God, being so faithful, has left us with instructions in the Bible that we can rely on. 

Thirdly, all these roles must be taken into consideration in marriage, but regardless, both parties must continuously pray and seek the face of the Lord for guidance.