Being a husband is more than just a title; it is a calling. When God instituted the family structure, He set things up in a particular order. The man was created first, and from his rib the woman was made. The first couple, before they fell into disobedience, reflected the perfect will of God for the marriage union. They were partners together and in perfect fellowship with God. After the fall, the enemy was able to get a foothold in the earth, and man became emotionally ruled. However, Jesus Christ came to restore everything back to its original state. The family unit has been restored and brought back to a place of unity through the finished work of Jesus. Husbands have the ability to walk in their calling as God originally intended.

The primary role of a husband is to be a protector of that which God has given him. This is also the biblical model. When we look at Adam, we see that this is the first thing God gave him to do. The Garden had been entrusted to him, and he had been charged to watch over it and keep out all intruders. Understanding our assignments as husbands is critical to our walking in this God-given role. We are to be leaders, protectors, and executors of God’s instructions to us. When we do these things, as it relates to our wives, children, and homes, we are effectively functioning in the role of husband.

Many men have been blessed with wives and children but are not carrying out their biblical role to “guard and keep” their personal gardens. They allow things to intrude upon their marriages and households, allowing the enemy to get a foothold. I believe before we can truly guard and keep what God has given us, as it relates to the people in our lives, we have to guard and keep the garden of our own hearts. This means making sure we are planting the seed of God’s Word in our hearts and protecting that seed by guarding our eyes, ears, and what comes out of our mouths. The seeds we plant in our spirits are going to have an effect on how we govern our households. We must make the Word of God our priority and final authority.

The Bible gives clear instructions on how a husband is to relate to his wife. Ephesians 5:23-28 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body…Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” The role of the husband becomes even more clear here. He is the spiritual authority of his home, and, in relation to his wife, he is her head. This doesn’t mean we are to rule with an iron fist, because that’s not the way Jesus relates to us. We are to love our wives as Christ loves His body. That’s a high calling and a great responsibility.

I want to encourage men not to buy into the world’s definitions of manhood, along with its norms and values. God’s standard is greater and higher. Every man who takes on the responsibility of husband is graced to get the job done in a way that pleases the Father. Embrace the character of Christ so you can be exactly what He has called you to be.