DIVINE ORDER FOR FAMILY (Part 2)
“Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:24-25 NKJV)
God has divinely ordained and strategically positioned the husband as the head of his home or family. It is God’s order, ordinance, or command that the wives should submit to their own husbands in everything, just as the Church is subject to Christ in everything.
Paul aptly explains this order in his epistle.
Ephesians 5:22-24 – NKJV
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Any home or family where the husband is not accepted, regarded, or respected as the head as ordained by God is a dysfunctional home.
Similarly, any home where the husband fails to efficiently play his God-ordained role as the head or fails to devote himself to pursuing and fulfilling His God-given purpose as the head is a dysfunctional home.
Sadly, many husbands today are ignorant of their God-ordained role, purpose, or responsibility as the heads of their homes.
What are the God-given responsibilities of husband as the head of his home or family?
Considering the unique functions the head performs in the human body give a clear insight into the divine responsibilities of the man or husband as the head of his family (his body).
Let us consider some of these functions.
First, Vision: The organ of sight (eyes) is uniquely positioned in the sockets located in the head. The entire body depends on the eyes to provide vision and direction.
Matthew 6:22-23 – NKJV
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Likewise, the husband as the head of his family is the spiritual organ of sight to his family. He is God-appointed spiritual watchman or overseer over his family. The husband is expected to give a clear vision and direction to his wife and children.
If the husband as the eye of the family is good, his family will be full of light. But if the husband is bad, his family will be full of darkness.
When you see darkness (evil) reigning in a home, it is a clear indication that the lamp of the home (the husband) is bad – either displaced as the head or inefficient as the head.
According to God’s Word, if the husband (who is supposed to be the light) in the home is darkness, the darkness in the home will be great (Matt. 6:23).
It is your responsibility as the head to be the light in your home and let your light shine brightly and continually in your home to give light to your family (Matt. 5:15).
Second, Instruction: The organ of hearing and balance (ear) is located in the head to receive and gather information for the body, and to provide equilibrium or register the orientation of the head.
Likewise, the husband is divinely and strategically positioned as the head so that he can receive, gather, and carry divine instructions to his family.
As the head of your family, it is God’s desire to awaken your ear morning by morning to hear and receive clear and specific divine instructions for your family.
Isaiah testifies to this truth.
Isaiah 50:4 – NKJV
4 The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.
Third, Perception: The organ of perception (nose) is divinely placed in the front of the head so as to help the body breathe, smell, and perceive what is in the environment.
Similarly, the husband as the head of his home is the spiritual organ of breathing, discernment or perception.
The husband is expected by God to be fully sensitive or aware of what is happening in the natural and spiritual environment where his family is situated. The husband must be sensitive and receptive to pick and decode spiritual signals (Job. 33:14-18).
Fourth, Communication & Provision: The organ of communication (tongue) is located in the mouth situated in the head. Without it, the body may not be able to communicate effectively with its outside environment.
The tongue is also the organ of taste. The mouth is the major entrance and exit (the gate) of the body. The nourishments the body needs to grow and develop come into the body through the mouth.
Likewise, the husband as the head of his home is the mouthpiece or spokesman for his family. He is also the spiritual gatekeeper of his home who determines what comes in or goes out.
When the husband is efficient as the spiritual gatekeeper of his home, his home will be in peace. No demon, sickness or evil will plague his family. But if the husband is not watchful as the gatekeeper, all sorts of evil will invade his home (Isa. 56:9-11).
Jesus said, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.” (Luke 11:21 NKJV).
The husband as the spiritual spokesman for his home wields the power of life and death over his wife and children. Your home will be filled with the fruits of your mouth (Prov. 18:20-21).
As the head of the home, your words go a long way to shape, mould and influence the destiny of your family. The husband is God-ordained prophet over his family and he is expected to daily speak forth, declare, and release God’s blessings upon his family.
Fifth, Coordination & Recollection: In the skull of the head is the brain – the power-base and store house of the body. It controls and coordinates all the activities of the body. It is the storage where important pieces of information are reserved and recalled when needed.
Likewise, the husband as the head is expected to coordinate and oversee the activities of his family. The failure or inefficiency of Adam to oversee or coordinate the affairs of his family in the Garden of Eden was what gave the devil an inroad into his home and the human race.
Paul writes, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” (1 Tim. 2:14 NKJV).
When the husband abdicates his God-given place, authority, duties or responsibilities as the head of his home, it is not his wife but the devil who will take over the affairs of his home.
Sixth, Meditation: The human brain or mind is the organ of meditation. It helps the body to think, meditate and brainstorm.
When the family is faced with challenges, the husband as the head must rise up to the occasion, and prayerfully think through and proffer solutions. The failure of the husband as the head may bring confusion into the home and set the stage for manipulation or bewitchment.
Seventh, Imagination: The brain or mind does not only have the ability to reserve and recall, think or meditate, but it also has an inherent ability to visualize or imagine. Imagination is the womb that births innovations or inventions.
The husband as the head is expected to see, perceive and imagine great and noble things, and to birth them into reality for the benefits of his family. His failure may result in stagnation or retrogression of his family.
Beloved, as the husband, when you are truly active and efficient in your God-given place as the head, your family will abound in God’s blessing and also become a great blessing to the society.
Therefore, God is calling you today to awake out of your complacency, indifference, or inefficiency and rise up to begin to fulfil your divine role and purpose as the head of your family.
Don’t shirk your responsibilities to your wife and thus abdicate your divine place, power or authority in your home to the devil.
The Scripture commands you to “give no opportunity to the devil.” (Eph. 4:27 RSV).
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for opening my eyes of understanding today to my divine place, purpose and responsibilities as the head of my family. I receive abundant grace, wisdom and strength to begin to operate efficiently as the head in my home, in Jesus’ name. Amen.