"So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself." — Ephesians 5:28
Read: Ephesians 5:23-31. Today's word is for the husbands. It is a privilege and an honor to become a husband, for the Bible says a man who finds a wife obtains favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). Many men with fine credentials long for a wife and cannot find one, for every good gift is given from above (James 1:17); so it is a blessing to be called a husband.
Man was created first and entrusted with the care of God's other creatures (Genesis 2:7-8), and from this we see that he carries weighty responsibility — at home, in the church, and in society. A man deserves to be called a man when he is responsive and responsible in his duties. And men are to be mentors: first of all in their own homes, to their wives and children — as the Lord testified of Abraham (Genesis 18:19). A man who has lost the grip of his home has little left; the home looks to him in every way, and he must not fail it (1 Timothy 3:5). Men who are truly men mentor and provide for their homes. Are you one?
Some men today insist on being 'masters' over their wives, appealing to the order of Ephesians 5:22 — but taken to an extreme this becomes an error. To be called the head of your wife does not make her a slave or a lesser person. She was taken from close to your heart, that you might love her dearly (Genesis 2:21). A Christian husband is not the boss at home but the leader, who carries everyone along in love and sincerity. Do not misuse the privilege by becoming needlessly forceful simply because you are the husband.
Man, be a man indeed, and a mentor — not a master. For we have only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of every godly man (Ephesians 5:23). Amen.