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Wives, submit to your own husbands as is fitting in the Lord. Whether you are a full time house wife, or a career woman or a political figure, the bible’s injunction is that you submit to your husband.

You may be earning more than he does, it doesn’t matter, what matters is, you must submit to him. You may be a very beautiful woman that everyone admires, notwithstanding, you must submit to your husband.

You may be the boss of a mega company, and all the men in the company almost worship you because you are able to determine their fate; this will not stop you from submitting to your husband. You may be that TV star, that popular musician or celebrity; your duty as far as the home is concerned is that you must submit to your husband. The moment a woman stops submitting to her husband because she thinks she has attained a greater post, that’s the moment she starts inviting problem into her home.Colossians 3:18-19¹⁸Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.  ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.   - King James VersionHowever, there are exceptions to the above rule. A wife may not submit to a husband’s demand contrary to the word of God. A woman shouldn’t lie because her husband asked her to, neither should she steal nor do any other heinous act because she has been told to submit to her husband. Remember Ananias and Sapphira. A woman should submit as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them . As the husband of the home, you must love your wife. Even if she is ugly, you must love her; at least you saw her endowment before you went for her. You are to love her even if she is an illiterate.

We are enjoined to love our wives as Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? He gave His life for it! So a man should be prepared to give his life for his wife. We all have our weaknesses, yet Christ loved us and offered Himself to cleanse us from our faults. Christ encourages us to live up to that perfect life He wants us to live. So also we must encourage our wives unto that perfect woman we desire them to be.

If she is an illiterate and you are admiring those graduates out there, then give her the necessary education she needs. If she dresses poorly, then buy those clothes you have always admired in others for her. If there is a particular attitude you want her to put on, then make it known to her in the spirit of meekness. We are to love our wives as we love ourselves.
Also, the love of husbands for their wives will include correcting them in love, and not in bitterness. We shouldn’t pretend that all is well when all is not actually well. Christ wouldn’t pretend to continue loving us if we go astray from His commandments.

Our Lord said that those who keep His commandments are the ones who love him. And since the wife is to reciprocate the love of her husband by loving him in return, she should be willing to obey her husband. The husbands should not correct their wives in anger, or it may generate crises.[bible]Colossians 3:20.[/bible] Children are to obey their parents at all times. Such obedience goes with a promise that they will live long. God said of Jesus Christ, that He is the only begotten son of God in whom God is well pleased. God was well pleased with Jesus Christ because He was obedient to His heavenly Father even to the point of deathPhilippians 2:8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. - King James Version Our Lord Jesus Christ wouldn’t do anything unless He saw the Father doing it. Children must also be like our Saviour in terms of obedience. And we the parents must ensure that we live right so that they can only emulate good traits in our lives.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. God does not overbear us, therefore we also shouldn’t overbear our children. We don’t expect them to know everything as we do; same way God does not expect us to know all things that He knows. God teaches us day by day, and we should teach our children in the very same way. We stumble several times; at times God chastises us, at other times He frowns at us and tend to withdraw from us; but there is never a time He forsakes us completely as long as we have a repentant attitude. Though we stumble, yet God picks us up. We can chastise our children, scold them, or deny them some favours: but all should be done in love, such that when they repent, we will willingly take them back to us.

A Christian family should be the standard by which the church of God is judged, therefore Paul said, he who cannot rule his household is not fit to handle the church of God. A Christian family is a blissful family.

Recommended Reading

Disciplines of a Godly Family

Disciplines of a Godly Family covers such topics as establishing a solid family heritage, promoting affection between family members, encouraging godliness in children, using appropriate discipline, and helping children cultivate enriching lifelong habits. The Hugheses also offer tips for fun and affordable family vacations, creating family traditions, and starting a prayer notebook. They even give us a suggested list of books and videos that should be in every family’s library.

For those struggling to parent their own children or to equip other parents for this task, a more practical, honest, and common-sense guide will be hard to find.

Seven Words to Change Your Family . . . while there’s still time

Are you convinced your family will never change? Think again!

In this follow-up to Lord, Change My Attitude Before It’s Too Late, Pastor MacDonald shows you that confession of sin can radically transform family relationships; and how seven key words—”commitment,” “forgiveness,” “blessing,” “honor,” “truth,” “fear,” and “love”—can make all the difference.

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