A Can of Worms

Our Dan, 1988

"These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God." (Titus 4:4-5)

Last night, one of the professional, young women around my dinner table said, "I think I'll find me a man that can cook and clean, and I'll just work and be the breadwinner."

"Sorry! Not God's plan," I piped.

As you can imagine, that statement "opened a can of worm" in our millennial-girls' small group.

Am I saying that it's a sin for a women to work outside the home? Absolutely NOT! After all, the Proverbs 31 excellent wife inspected a field, bought it, and with her earnings planted a vineyard.

What I am saying is that God's word defines the roll of the wife as helper (Gen. 2:18) and the God-given lines of authority as Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3) - not lesser in value to God, but for the purpose of order and blessing, making marriage like Christ and the Church.

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

For wives, this means submitting to your husband as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of His church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, He gave up His life for her...

As the Scriptures say, 'A man leaves His father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:21-33)

Want a blessed marriage, beloved? Stay in your God-given lane and fulfill your God-given roll, which honors God and His holy word.

"Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her... Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (Prov. 31:28,30)