Perfect Balance

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  Ephesians 5:22-27

My wife and I are a team.  We love each other, and I have to say that it is the closest relationship we have to ours with God.  We fight and argue.  She says I complain too much, and she’s probably right.  I will tell her to take more time out for herself, and she will try to remember that.  At the end of the day, we are a perfect balance for each other.  The reason is we do not focus on who is in control.  We focus on fulfilling our role as husband and wife.  The better we do so, the more love we feel for each other.

God’s word gives a perfect outline for how a healthy relationship should work.  Many couples struggle with the concept of who should be in charge.  For example, there is a saying that behind every good man is a good woman.  With the woman’s rights movement, the saying seemed to change to beside every good man is a good woman.  We hear conversations of guys being ‘whipped’ and women being abused.  It can be both depressing and frustrating.  Today’s verses are direct reminders that each role must fulfill their obligation to the relationship as Jesus Christ did on earth.  A godly woman would gladly submit to their husband who is loving of them as Jesus loved the church.  A godly man would gladly love their wife who gives into them first.  The verses in the proper context are about balance and not control.  You cannot have a great relationship without both submitting to and love for each other.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ gives us the best example of how to have long lasting and loving relationships.  Jesus was both submitting to God’s will and loving of all God’s people.  While society focuses on who is in control, we must look to love God as He loves us; unconditionally.  It is only then our relationships can be both fulfilling and satisfying for as Jesus said to Samaritan woman, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” (John 4:13a)  Is your relationship balanced?  How can you focus more on your commitment to the relationship?  My prayer is that we are willing to both love and submit in order for our relationships to have the perfect balance.  Amen.