by Rebecca Thomas

Created on: August 25, 2009   Last Updated: August 27, 2009

"Christ is the Head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation" is a wall hanging in many Christian homes, and this is true of my home, as well! It is like a triangle. God is at the top of the triangle, and the bottom ends are shared by the husband and wife. God created the wife to be a help mate to the man. In God's perfect world, they were to live in perfect harmony with each other and with God. But sin came into the world, and as a result of sin, both man and woman had to pay the price for it. The man would have to toil with his hands, and the woman would feel pain during labor and child bearing.

In spite of the effect of sin, God designed man and woman for different roles in the home and outside the home. But they are both equal in His sight. No one role is more important than the other. The man can be considered the head of the home, and the woman is the heart of the home. It takes both the head and the heart to make a home satisfying, fun, nurturing and fulfilling. When trials and conflicts come, they should work out their differences, learn from them and move on in their life together. Between the husband and wife, if there arises a conflict that absolutely cannot be resolved, the husband as the head of the home will make the final decision. But those instances should be far and few (hopefully).

When children are born into a family, they are there only for a limited amount of time - maybe 18 years or maybe a few more. Children are born, raised, and when they grow up, leave home to start a life of their own. They bring much joy to the parents and help build up the family life. But, the focal point of the family is still the husband and wife. So it is very important that their relationship is strong and undefiled.

God established the husband-wife relationship as the most sacred and important of all human relationships. But more important than that is our relationship with Him. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life, and we owe Him everything we have and are. He should be the number one priority in all of our lives. As the Christian author, John Piper put it, "the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

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