Husband's Responsibility

There are two sides to the story of having a happy home. Both the husband and wife are definitely responsible. Some men may declare, “Wives are to obey their husbands.” But they forget that the same Word which tells the wife to be subject to the husband just as emphatically and distinctly says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.” How much love was that? So much that He gave His life on the Cross. If a man loved his wife to that extent, it would make it easier for the wife to be in submission to his will. But he forgets that. He forgets he has something he must do to make it easier for the wife. If he obeyed God and conducted himself the way God demands, giving proper love and consideration to his wife, how much easier it would be for her to submit to him! If he has God's love in his heart, it will keep him from making unreasonable or unkind requests. Any person who tries to get another to bow in abject submission to him has lost the love of God and the Spirit of Christ out of his heart. Let us not forget that.

If husbands really loved their wives as Christ loved the church, and wives likewise met their responsibilities, the divorce courts would soon go out of business. There would be fewer broken homes and not so many children suffering because of the sins and misdeeds of the parents.

If the husband, who is the head of the house, has the love of God in his heart, he has a divine love for his family and he will provide properly for his household. The Bible says: “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8).