The Biblical Roles of the Husband to His Spouse

Marriage is an institution that brings two people together, so it is only right that these people know their roles in the union. Knowing this will foster orderliness and make the union very effective.

One thing that is very key when it comes to marriage is that the parties coming together are to be seen as partners. The moment you understand that, just like partners in a firm, everyone has a role to play, you will understand the need for these roles.

I am sure you are wondering why there are roles; some people may even ask, since they are one and they love each other, why can’t they just “wing it”? Well, let us look at why these roles are needed and why we, as Christians, must follow them.

1. Orderliness

Imagine working in an organization with no job description. Do you know how disastrous that would be? Everyone is just doing as they please, not following any order. One of the things we know about our God is that he is not an author of confusion, so it is important for us to live an orderly life. Lack of roles leads to assumptions, and that isn't the best way to live.

When things are not done in an orderly manner, one thing is for sure, there will be wasted time, and it can even lead to conflict when both parties have done the same thing. when this occurs, the issue will be who is going to get the things that hasn't been done, done. When this occurs, the issue will be who is going to get the things that haven't been done done.
 

2. Division of Labour

Roles are important because they remove the burden from one person and spread it across all parties involved. At the end, one person is not overly burdened. It also helps when your strengths are considered while dishing out these roles, which makes everything easier. Roles fosters division of labor, which is very effective in achieving goals. When duties are split among individuals, it won’t be hard to be accountable for yours because you won’t want to disappoint the other person. This makes life easier. If you, as a person, wanted to do it all by yourself, you should have stayed single, I guess, and if you didn’t want any burden whatsoever, you still should have stayed single. You must understand that marriage is a union and must be treated as such.

Well, it is one thing to know these roles; it is another to follow them. As Christians, we have been given guidelines on how to live in the scriptures, and the marriage institution wasn’t left out. As such, we just need to follow them, as we can never go wrong following the word of God. 

This brings us to the roles of these parties in the home. Firstly, before we delve in, marriage is between two people, and for this union to stay strong and pass the test of time, it has to have love and be built on Christ. 

Read: Full List of Nigerian Pastors You Never Knew were Lawyers

 

When you love someone regardless, you will understand the person and know what moves the person will make. This won’t be the case of assumption but of pattern; we all have the way we act and react to things. When someone is observant of this, it will be easy for them to understand your next move.

That said, the following are the Biblical Roles of the Husband to his Spouse and the Family.

1. He is the Head of the home

As seen in the scriptures, the husband is the head of the home. The Bible in 1st Corinthians 11:3 says, “I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of every woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." Sadly, this Bible verse has been twisted over time to make it seem like it is some sort of tyranny. When we say head of the home, let’s not forget that they are still partners. The man is meant to lead the home, not be a dictator in it. 

The husband is meant to be proactive, he is meant to take decisions that will benefit all parties; he is meant to be very responsible. I mean, you can’t be a leader without these traits.

2. Love his wife

Love covers a lot of attributes. When you look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 you will get a better grasp of it. 

It says: Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

As a husband, the love you show must exhibit all these attributes. In addition to this, there is a specific kind of love that was requested of the husband. The husband is to love his wife the same way Christ loves the church and gave himself for her. To buttress this point, let’s take a look at Ephesians 5:25-29: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

We all know how Christ loves the church. He loves the church with unconditional love, and this kind of love is very rare. Regardless of whatever the church has done or is doing, the love still stands. So as a husband, regardless of what your wife does, your love for her must not fail

3. Provide for the home

The man is also supposed to provide for his home. As he coordinates the affairs and leads the home, he is to provide for the home. But note that, in some cases, the burden of provision doesn’t fall totally on him. His partner, his wife, can also support him in the way she can.

In conclusion, roles are important for any institution to thrive, and for the husband, his basic role is to love his wife just like the way Christ loves the church. The husband has also been saddled with the responsibility of being the leader of the home; he must act accordingly.

You can follow up to read the Biblical Roles of the wife in the second part of this article here.