God desires every marriage in Christ’s church to be led by a husband clothed in humility. That is the goal God has for every man here who is a genuine believer, and is married or hopes to be someday.
All of us husbands are asked by God to represent Him here on Earth. As we saw last time in Ephesians 5:25 our first command is to LOVE our wives. Sacrificially like Jesus. Today we look at the second half of the plan God left for us: we are to LEAD with Christ’s humility.
Humility Reflects Christ Jesus
This simple, practical way of modeling humility is the very best way to love our wives (and children)! Paul told us that in our pursuit of Christ we must seek His attitude:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, … He humbled Himself and became obedient [to the point of] death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5, 7a, 8).
Husbands, decide right now that leading with humility like Christ’s is your goal—and that you are going to become the greatest servant on Earth to your wife. The rewards will last forever!
How do we get clothed with Christ’s humility to even start leading our wives? Living as a humble servant of Jesus Christ is part of what the Bible calls “sanctification” or more simply, “God changing my behavior”. We are to agree with God’s desires as expressed in His Word, and consciously deny the way we were born (which was selfish), and start living like the new creations we became in Christ. Salvation begins us in a constant process of scraping off the old us and putting on the new us.
Turn with me to the “put-ons”, the sanctified behavior we must consciously seek to live out each day. This new us is described as a wardrobe every believer is to draw from and wear each day. Men, we are to lead the way in wearing Christ’s humility.