LIGHT FOR HARMONIOUS HOMES (1)

“SUBMITTING to ONE ANOTHER in the fear of God” – Ephesians 5:21

God, the Author of Marriage, also gives LIGHT for HARMONIOUS HOMES: “SUBMITTING to ONE ANOTHER in the fear of God” (Eph.5:21). Harmony in a musical quality that describes the exhilarating ideal that most musicians work their entire lives to continuously experience. This demands diligence, humility, patience, and unity between people who pursue the goal of creating scintillating music. When musical harmony is achieved, it touches those singing or playing, as well as everyone listening. Living in harmony with one another isn’t too different than the pursuit of musical harmony. Although it may seem like an elusive target, it is worth fighting for as it produces joy in those who pursue it and touches those around them. We’re consistently exhorted to live in harmony: “Be of the same mind toward one another” (Rom.12:16a).

Harmony is also meant to be a vital mark of the Christian marriage. The secret of the harmonious home is Mutual Submission: husband and wife submitting to each other out of reverence for Christ. There’s hardly a better feeling than being in harmony with those that are close to us. As humans, we were created for intimate, thriving relationships with God and others. He wants us to walk the path of humility and love, and to build and live in harmony with others, especially our life-long partners. When we do, we’re worshipping God with our lives in one beautiful, unified voice. God works in our hearts, knitting us together in harmony like a beautiful tapestry of transformed lives. As we spend time together in His presence, He fills us with the passion to pursue harmony with those He has placed in our lives, especially our spouses.

The enemy’s greatest effort to hinder the work of the Lord occurs in the home, first by eroding family relationships and then the family unit. Many couples do not recognize Satan’s silent, crippling encroachment into their unity and security, using the tools of contention, dispute, quarrel, and strife, to erode peace, corrode contentment, and destroy family solidarity. Couples who love each other well and offer grace and forgiveness, demonstrate Christ’s redeeming power to change hearts. Such couples care about and respect each other as persons in their own right, not to be dominated or controlled.

In today’s text, Paul used the example of Christ and the Church to describe the relationship between husband and wife: the wife submits to and respects her husband, while he loves her as Christ loved the Church. He is willing to give up his life for her. That’s how Harmony happens: In the context of mutual submission. The wife is not subservient to her husband, and should never be an object of abuse or violence – emotional or physical – but be valued, cherished and nourished (vv.28-29). As couples and families in Christ, we are called to look beyond the warped ways of the world, to God’s Way, which comprises Love, Mutual Submission and Respect, Equity, and Intimacy.