22 July 2018
Two-Minute Features | 29 July 2018 | 15 July 2018

Marriage Problem #2: Wife Leading Husband? Part 2 (TMF:940)

Friday, July 27, 2018
Peace to Live By: Marriage Problem #2: Wife Leading Husband? Part 2 (TMF:940) - Daniel Litton
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       Now, for many people’s marriages, this is not a problem at all—that of the husband being the head of the family. This is because it is in the natural instincts of a woman to want to submit to her husband, as that is the way God has made her internal drive. The normal drive then of the man is to lead. But while these are the natural drives God has placed inside of people, sometimes the wife does want to try to lead her husband. At times this is because the wife is a strong-willed woman. She has a high drive, and wants things to be her way. And while there is nothing wrong with a woman having a high drive, she can also, along with the elevated motivation, learn to submit to her husband. Nevertheless, sometimes the woman leads because the man is unconfident and won’t lead her. Now, a man might be like this because he grew up with an overbearing father, who caused him to be discouraged, or without a father at all, and this caused him to lose his confidence in life, or not properly develop it. Whatever the reason for the woman trying to lead her husband, this is not the way God has designed the marriage relationship to be.

Marriage Problem #2: Wife Leading Husband? Part 1 (TMF:939)

Thursday, July 26, 2018
Peace to Live By: Marriage Problem #2: Wife Leading Husband? Part 1 (TMF:939) - Daniel Litton
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       Now, number two in looking at marriage problems: The wife trying to lead her husband. Ephesians 5:22-24: “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” (ESV). See also Titus 2:4. We just talked about how Christ is the head of the church, and how that too makes him the head of a marriage. Paul points out here in these verses that as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in every area. This is the design and order that God has setup for marriage, at least in today’s day and age, for the husband to be head of the wife. Paul gave a reason for this to Timothy. He said, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:13-15 ESV).

Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 4 (TMF:938)

Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Peace to Live By: Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 4 (TMF:938) - Daniel Litton
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       When Jesus is at the head of a marriage, it allows the couple to be united together with their focus on him. It produces more peaceful, pleasant, and happier lives among the partners. It makes God happy when their is unity in marriage, and it definitely will produce happiness for the married individuals. Living with Jesus as head also will naturally provide blessings for a couple. As you learn more and more about each other, and as you grow together into further spiritual maturity in Christ, you can find more desirable ways of doing things, and you will find what is pleasing to the Lord. God wants couples to grow toward maturity, and closer to him as the Head, and this certainly will lead to further blessings in married life. A couple should not be expecting blessings from God if they are not willing to grow in him. But by having Jesus at the Head, he can and will give you the desires of your hearts.

Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 3 (TMF:937)

Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Peace to Live By: Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 3 (TMF:937) - Daniel Litton
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       The Word of God needs to be at the heart of marriage; it must be central to it. Each person within the marriage gets his or her individual direction in life, and how to live, from the Word of God. The Scriptures are foundational to success in life, and on how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. When we are individually living like God wants us to live, this will, in turn, result in better married-life. Each individual within the marriage is doing what God wants, and therefore, it is only natural that marriage is flowing better in that case. Recall 2 Timothy 3:16, and I don’t think we often look at this verse with marriage in mind, but let’s consider it with that focus today: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV). Notice how the verse says “equipped for every good work.” Well, that includes marriage, and things that married couples work together to accomplish.

Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 2 (TMF:936)

Monday, July 23, 2018
Peace to Live By: Marriage Problem #1: Jesus the Head? Part 2 (TMF:936) - Daniel Litton
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       It sounds so basic to say that Jesus needs to be at the head in marriage, yet many people fail to keep him there. And therefore, problems develop within their marriages. Keeping Jesus as head of your marriage means that he is the leader; he is the foundation and guides you in all things. Everything is surrendered to him, and he leads you by his Word. When I say everything is surrendered to him, that means that there is nothing you are doing in your lives, no significant choices are being made, without first running it by Him to see what he wants you to do. And, he will guide people in what to do, and he places his dreams and visions in people’s hearts. But for a couple to say that they are just going to do this or that, without even considering whether this is something that God wants them to do, is a very foolish. A decision made without surrender to God will in fact lead to problems, and most likely failure.