The more you honor your wife and treat her as someone precious, the more you will be able to receive from the anointing God has placed within her. The word "helper" does not imply inferiority. It describes function, not worth.

Traditionally, the issue of submission has focused on the wife. Many Christians have thought that the woman is always supposed to make adjustments and do whatever her husband tells her to do. As a result, a lot of abuse has taken place in this area.

Contrary to what some people think, submission is not a "wife" word. Yes, a woman should submit to her husband, but that is not the sum total of what God wants us to know about submission.

The Bible clearly shows us that both men and women have the responsibility to submit. First, we are supposed to submit to God (James 4:7). The Apostle Peter instructs us to submit to our elders (1 Peter 5:5). We are also told to submit to the laws of our government (1 Peter 2:13). And, we are supposed to submit to one another (Eph.5:21).

The word submission is made up of the prefix "sub" and the word "mission." The prefix sub means to get under, or in this case, "get under the mission." In order for true submission to occur, there first has to be a mission. Without a mission, there is nothing to submit to.

Submit means to "yield by obeying, retire and withdraw." In other words, one person has to retire his or her mission to yield to the mission of another. It means that one person has to withdraw from what they want to do in order to get under another person's mission.

God believes in order and has designated the husband to be the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23). Verse 24 continues, "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ [the Anointed One and His Anointing], so let the wives be [subject] to their husbands in every thing."

I believe this scripture is saying that the wife is supposed to be subject to the anointing on her husband. In other words, she should submit to the vision God has given her husband.

It would be incorrect to say that a wife was supposed to submit to everything her husband tells her to do. If that were the case, she would have to disobey the Word of God if her husband told her to do something ungodly. The boundaries of her submission are set by the Word, which is always the final authority.

Husbands are commanded to love their wives "...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (verse 25). The love of Christ was demonstrated by His death on the cross. Likewise, a husband's love is shown by the way he gives of himself to his wife.

Love isn't just a feeling; it's also an action. Here are four ways husbands should show their wives that they love them.

1. Purposeful Communication
That means you communicate with the intent to understand and to be understood.

2. Understanding
You'll find that at the end of a lot of arguments there is misunderstanding rather than right understanding. Accept and adjust to each other's differences.

3. Give Up Judgments
Be careful how you judge others. All believers are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), which means we have a right to go before God and ask for forgiveness.

4. Accept Responsibility
Accept the responsibility that God has given you as head of your wife (Eph. 5:23). Take the time to find out what God has called you to do.

A woman will not have any problems submitting to a man who honors and loves her as Christ loves the church. She will gladly stand in the role of helper when the husband stands in the role of leader and accepts his responsibilities.

As the husband and wife begin to honor and prefer one another, they will experience the type of relationship God intended all couples to have, and it will be glorious!

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