God's Plan for Responsibility: A Purposeful Role

The Divine Design of Family Roles

Everything that is designed has a purpose. When a designer sits down to put something together, there's a reason for it. A watch tells time, a phone communicates, and a vehicle gets you from point A to point B. Every design has a purpose, including us.
As we started this Families Fortified series, we discussed how God, the ultimate designer, created us with inherent value because we are made in His image. Unlike the stars or the moon, humans are uniquely created in the image of God, giving each person intrinsic value and worth.

We also learned that God created two genders, male and female, as stated in Psalm 139. Our gender is definitive of the purpose that God has for us on this planet, ultimately to propagate the gospel through our families. This is why the family unit is constantly under attack.

Today, we focus on the purpose within our genders and how these roles play out in the family. This topic can be controversial, but I am not here to be a PR agent for the Lord. I am a proclaimer. We must understand that God's design for family roles is perfect and brings Him glory.

In Ephesians 5:22-33, we see that husbands and wives have distinct roles. Wives are called to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church, giving Himself up for her. This submission and love are not about value but about order and function within the family, much like the Trinity, where Jesus submits to the Father and the Holy Spirit submits to the Father and the Son, yet all are equal in value.

Submission is a position of strength, not weakness. It is about willingly placing oneself under another's authority for the sake of order and function. For wives, this means respecting and submitting to their husbands in everything, as long as it does not lead to sin or harm.

Husbands are called to love their wives sacrificially, to sanctify and cleanse them with the word, and to present them holy and blameless. This love involves daily suffering and sacrifice, not just dying for their wives but living for them in a way that honors God.
Men, your most important title is husband. Your wife's needs should come before anything else. Love her as Christ loves the church, with unconditional, sacrificial love. Wives, respect your husbands and submit to their leadership as you would to Christ.

If we all commit to these roles, our marriages will reflect God's glory, and our families will be fortified. The spiritually mature one starts, so let's all take what the Lord has shown us and put it into practice. This is how we honor God in our families and set a foundation for the next generation.

May we all strive to hear those words one day, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Amen.