The role of a biblical wife and mother has been greatly threatened and damaged over the past 75 years and especially over the last 20 years. The pressure, propaganda, and humanistic philosophies under the guise of improvements and freedoms for women, has denied, confused, and in many cases destroyed the biblically defined role for women. Keep in mind that God designed the government, the church, and the home to curb the effects of the fallen world, and to serve as a means of bringing people to know the God who rules over all. But because of the departure from God and His Word, discussing biblical roles is often emotionally charged, and difficult because of so many wrong preconceived notions. Of the three institutions that God has designed, the home is the essential and last venue to have the intimate ability to know and love God and perpetuate His truth.

Satan has nearly completed his destruction of government and is well on his way with the church. He exhaustively desires to destroy every home. We could look at glaring statistics showing his incredible success. On this upcoming Mother’s Day realize that one of Satan’s chief means of evil advancement is focused on destroying our homes through the wife and mother. This is precisely what he did in the Garden of Eden. As we move closer to the time of Christ’s second coming, and the continual decline of society, we as Christians must unashamedly claim the clear timeless teaching of the Word of God. We must be committed to establishing our homes on the Rock (Matt. 7:24), our Lord Jesus (the Word), trusting that God knows precisely what is best for us, in contrast to the passing philosophies of a Christ rejecting society.

The essential role of the wife and mother is to submit to the headship of her husband (Eph. 5:22-24). This is under a larger submission to God. This God-commanded standard is the key to making the home an efficient blessing. The idea of submission is not only a command for wives, but also a true biblical attitude commanded and taught for all Christians regarding relationships in general, and God determined authority roles in particular (Phil. 2:3-4; 1 Pet. 5:5; Rom. 13:1; Heb. 13:17).  The command for submission by a wife to her husband is first an attitude, but it is more than an attitude.  It is specific to the God decreed role in the institution of marriage. This submission by the wife is a role, just as Christ submitted to the will of the Father in His role.  It is not demeaning, nor does it mean inferiority. It is purposed by God and stated in Scripture as built on the order of creation (Gen. 2:21-23; 1 Cor. 11:7-9; 1 Tim. 2:13-14), and the decree from the fall of mankind under the curse of sin (Gen. 3:16).  This order, role, and purpose of God supersedes and transcends all cultures, trends, and other philosophies.

Life in our fallen society where multiple decisions, problems, opportunities, and variables exist to challenge daily living requires our trust in God’s wisdom. God has provided the perfect order in His Word.  Just as Christ is the head of the church, so is the husband the head of the wife and family (Eph. 5:23).  The church does not operate independently of, or in opposition to the will of Christ.  Neither is the wife to function independently of, or in opposition to the will of the husband.  This is the design of God so that the function of the home will operate as God intended in a harmonious and consistent display of His wisdom.

The responsibility of the husband is to love and cherish his wife as Christ does His church (Eph. 5:25).  This kind of love is complete self-giving love.  As Christ gave Himself completely, even by His sacrificial death on the cross for His church, the husband has a clear picture and example of the kind of love that he must consistently maintain. Being committed to our Lord’s kind of love is the key to the marriage relationship, and a functioning home reflecting God’s blessing.  All other activities of the home reside under the two key roles of submission by the wife, and complete self-giving love by the husband.

This is the same type of relationship among the Godhead and is also seen in the relationship between Christ and His church. If this pattern is followed it provides a perfectly functioning marriage and home.  If the submission of the wife and the love of the husband is as God intended, all else will fall into place. It means practically that the husband and wife will be making decisions together.  He will listen to His wife and desire to please her, and she will listen to him and desire to please him. The difficult matters will be overcome in the context of love, prayer, and obedient daily living always trusting Christ. Christ must be at the center of the home and His Word the guide for all decision making. We often speak of the need for Christ to be in the heart. He must also be in the heart of the home. By the obedience to God in what He has declared for the home, the home will function as the Lord has purposed in peace and joy for His glory.

On the eve of the celebration of Mother’s Day we are appropriately reminded of the irreplaceable value of wives and mothers. God knew this and created just what mankind needed. And the Bible is the blueprint for the true fulfillment of the role of every wife and mother. We praise God for His blessing, and His wisdom in providing them and fitting them perfectly in their high calling. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for our wives and mothers! We pray that each of them will know how valuable they are, and will seek foremost to fulfill their precious role as You (our God) have revealed in Your Word.