Day 9 | Marriage

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:22–33

Marriage is a gift from God that benefits the husband and wife in countless ways—friendship, intimacy, and ongoing sanctification just to name a few. But if we are to understand and approach marriage properly, we must remember that marriage is not primarily about us. 

Marriage is meant to display the gospel to a watching world. Husbands display the gospel when they love and lead their wives as Christ loves and leads his church. Wives display the gospel when they respect their husband and submit to his love and care as the church submits to Christ. It’s no wonder that marriage is constantly under attack, both inside and outside of the church.

Today, let’s pray for our marriages—that, as husbands and wives, we would rightly display the relationship between Jesus and his church to a watching world.

Prayer prompt: Pray for your marriage (or future marriage) to display the gospel.