Week 2 | Day 3 | Role Reversal?

Command:

Honor Marriage

Read:

Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him… Honor Christ by submitting to each other. Ephesians 5:1-2; 21 (TLB)

Reflect:

My husband was in the Navy, spending more than half of his service away at sea. I raised our boys pretty much on my own playing the role of both dad and mom. It’s so strange to even say that there was a “role” more suited to my husband as a father that I had to “play” in his absence. As if to say that having taught my sons how to ride a bike, or how to drive a stick-shift was more his responsibility than mine because he’s the man. Or that the fact that I taught them these is incongruent with societal norms. But such is the reality of living in a world that assigns males and females to their respective functions. 

Thankfully, my husband and I didn’t expect each other to align with “the norm.” We respected and honored one another as we quite naturally fell into our roles. We just figured out who was better at doing what, or what a particular situation called for, and went with that. When he was unemployed for nearly a year after leaving the Navy, I became the sole “bread-winner” and he, the “stay-at-home” parent. Some may see this as a reversal of roles. But we chose to look at our situation through the eyes of Jesus. As brother and sister in Christ, we submit to Jesus and his rule over our lives. As husband and wife, we mutually submit to one another, honoring our individual giftedness, and operating as equal partners in our household. In this way, we hope that we serve as powerful witnesses to God’s original intent for humanity – to serve him as equal coworkers in his kingdom work.

React:

Re-read the passage above. In what ways this week can you honor Christ in the context of your relationships?

Pray:

Jesus, may we walk in love, just as you walked in love; and may we be willing to submit to one another in reverence of you.