Spiritual Leadership in Marriage
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 5:23 (NKJV) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body.
It is crucial for us to have a vision of a good marriage. Strong, healthy, godly families do not happen automatically but require an intentional effort to build them with the correct biblical values, principles, and priorities. This way, we also help our children visualise the kind of marriage they want in the future.
1 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV) Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Spiritual leadership is required to establish a vision for the marriage. The husband is the head. As a leader, he leads the marriage and family that he wants to develop from the front, while the wife follows in submission. Spiritual leadership is a position given by God to the man. It is not about being a male chauvinist but an order that God has placed in the home. Sadly, many men today have prioritised their jobs rather than their families, and some would prefer not to take the role of the leader.
The man should be the family’s visionary. He needs to know what a Christian marriage should be like and envision how his family and marriage will grow. He must walk with God, know His ways, and live a consecrated life. He also needs to take up his rightful place in the family. He needs to know the difference between a marriage covenant and a contractual marriage, choose to honour the marriage covenant and build up his family in God’s ways.
A significant factor in spiritual leadership is the ability to motivate others. Therefore, a father should encourage and inspire his wife and children to love God and walk in His ways. As a leader, he must be able to lead his family from point A to point B, but he must have been to point B himself, seen it in the vision and knows the way there. He will work backwards from the vision to get what he wants for his marriage and family. He needs to have a goal in mind and know how to work with his wife to build the marriage.
Leadership also means taking responsibility and initiative to get everyone into the Word, walk with God, and be God-fearing. The family must have a godly voice to point out the direction, show them the way, and move towards the vision. The father must speak up in front of their children and not shy away from topics such as LGBTQ and gender confusion. This will help the family to finish well.
Sermon Series: Before You Say I Do
