The Truth About Headship: A Biblical Perspective on Marriage Roles

The Inconvenient Truth About Headship

Headship is an often-misunderstood concept in Christian circles. It’s a term that’s been misused and abused, causing confusion, hurt, and even abuse in some cases. However, when understood and practiced biblically, headship can be a beautiful and life-giving expression of God’s design for marriage and relationships.

So, what is headship? Simply put, headship is the biblical idea that the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23). This means that the husband has a God-given responsibility to lead, protect, and provide for his wife and family. This is not a call to dominate or control, but rather to sacrificially serve and love.

Headship in Practice

What does headship look like in practice? It looks like a husband who puts his wife’s needs above his own, who sacrificially serves her, who seeks her input and values her opinion, who protects her physically, emotionally, and spiritually, who provides for her, and who leads his family in the ways of the Lord.

Headship is not about being the boss or the ruler. It’s about being a servant-leader, just as Christ came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Why Headship is Important

Headship is important because it reflects the relationship between Christ and the church. Just as Christ sacrificially loved and served the church, so the husband is called to sacrificially love and serve his wife. This is not just a nice idea, but a command from God.

Furthermore, headship provides a clear structure and order in the home. When the husband is leading and the wife is following, there is a sense of peace and harmony. This does not mean that the wife is inferior or less important, but rather that she is fulfilling a different role in the marriage.

The Challenges of Headship

Headship is not easy. It’s a high calling that requires selflessness, humility, and sacrifice. It’s also a calling that can be misunderstood and even opposed by the culture around us.

However, the challenges of headship are not an excuse to abandon it. Rather, they are an opportunity to grow in our relationship with Christ and to become more like him. As we sacrificially love and serve our wives, we reflect the love of Christ to the world around us.

The Importance of Submission

Headship cannot be understood apart from submission. Just as the husband is called to sacrificially love and serve his wife, so the wife is called to submit to her husband’s leadership (Ephesians 5:22).

Submission does not mean blind obedience or subservience. It means willingly and joyfully following the leadership of our husbands, just as we follow the leadership of Christ.

Submission is not easy either. It requires trust, humility, and a willingness to let go of control. However, when practiced in the context of a loving and sacrificial relationship, submission can be a beautiful expression of our love for Christ.

Conclusion

Headship is an inconvenient truth in our culture that values individualism and autonomy. However, as Christians, we are called to follow God’s design for marriage and relationships, even when it’s difficult or unpopular.

When headship is practiced biblically, it can be a beautiful and life-giving expression of God’s design for marriage. It reflects the relationship between Christ and the church and provides a clear structure and order in the home.

So, let us embrace headship and submission as God-given roles in marriage, and let us sacrificially love and serve one another, just as Christ loved and served us.