I have to admire that we go to a church where one of the hardest passages in the Bible on marriage and submission comes up, and our pastor helps us tackle it straight on! But in truth, I know this was a tough one for many of us. More than tough…downright painful at times.
Submission is never easy. And as a married woman, I am listening to this sermon as someone that is called to submit to her husband. But as much as I was struggling to receive this message, I kept feeling the weight of what this means to the men who are called to lead their families and homes. The heavy weight I don’t often think about.
To be honest, I don’t think I would trade places. Husbands are the ones who answer to God on behalf of the spiritual leadership of their home…and that is truly a heavy weight to carry.
Just as I am sitting in my seat thinking about how hard it is to give up my wants and desires to submit, there was an equally distraught husband a few rows down trying to grapple with the thought of, “Are my leadership decisions going to hold up when I stand before Christ?”
As a church I think we should be praying for our men, the leaders of our homes. Pray for the men who stay up at night and wonder, “Did I treat my wife with the kindness Christ has extended me? Did I lead well?”
Men were created by God to carry heavy weights on their shoulders, and that is a beautiful part of who they were created to be…but over the years I’ve also seen the tender side of men that is often forgotten.
The tenderness that cares deeply about raising children to know Christ, the soft spot of whether or not they have loved their wife the way Christ loves the church, and the unspoken tears that come when thinking about standing before Jesus.
Whether you are a man or woman, we all need to pray for one another. Men need to know that the heavy, invisible weight they carry does not go unnoticed. God made them for this, but it doesn’t make the weight any less heavy.
How can we pray for the spiritual leaders of our homes?
Four major things come to mind:
1. Pray that husbands seek to love God with his whole heart, mind and soul (Matthew 22:37). Without this, leadership will falter. But with this, leadership will be born out of humility.
2. Pray for husbands to have holy discernment and wisdom that can only come from above (James 3:17). Without this wisdom, the decisions will be made in the flesh and cannot glorify Christ. But with this wisdom, decisions are made that lead people with grace and humility.
3. Pray for husbands to have confidence in who God has called them to be (Proverbs 14:26). Ask for confidence to be poured over them. It’s not easy to lead, it takes a Christ-like confidence to keep showing up.
4. Pray for husbands to have joy even in the midst of spiritual attack (1 Peter 4:12-13). Because we know that leaders are often attacked. We must pray that the Lord would guard them and even give them an unsurpassable joy.
Let's pray for the husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, sons and brothers. They will one day be asked to carry this weight, if they haven’t already. And as they carry that weight, we can stand for each other in prayer.
Because great leaders are often born out of many prayer-filled nights by the ones who love them.
Take heart as you pray, because God hears each and every word.
Submission is never easy. And as a married woman, I am listening to this sermon as someone that is called to submit to her husband. But as much as I was struggling to receive this message, I kept feeling the weight of what this means to the men who are called to lead their families and homes. The heavy weight I don’t often think about.
To be honest, I don’t think I would trade places. Husbands are the ones who answer to God on behalf of the spiritual leadership of their home…and that is truly a heavy weight to carry.
Just as I am sitting in my seat thinking about how hard it is to give up my wants and desires to submit, there was an equally distraught husband a few rows down trying to grapple with the thought of, “Are my leadership decisions going to hold up when I stand before Christ?”
As a church I think we should be praying for our men, the leaders of our homes. Pray for the men who stay up at night and wonder, “Did I treat my wife with the kindness Christ has extended me? Did I lead well?”
Men were created by God to carry heavy weights on their shoulders, and that is a beautiful part of who they were created to be…but over the years I’ve also seen the tender side of men that is often forgotten.
The tenderness that cares deeply about raising children to know Christ, the soft spot of whether or not they have loved their wife the way Christ loves the church, and the unspoken tears that come when thinking about standing before Jesus.
Whether you are a man or woman, we all need to pray for one another. Men need to know that the heavy, invisible weight they carry does not go unnoticed. God made them for this, but it doesn’t make the weight any less heavy.
How can we pray for the spiritual leaders of our homes?
Four major things come to mind:
1. Pray that husbands seek to love God with his whole heart, mind and soul (Matthew 22:37). Without this, leadership will falter. But with this, leadership will be born out of humility.
2. Pray for husbands to have holy discernment and wisdom that can only come from above (James 3:17). Without this wisdom, the decisions will be made in the flesh and cannot glorify Christ. But with this wisdom, decisions are made that lead people with grace and humility.
3. Pray for husbands to have confidence in who God has called them to be (Proverbs 14:26). Ask for confidence to be poured over them. It’s not easy to lead, it takes a Christ-like confidence to keep showing up.
4. Pray for husbands to have joy even in the midst of spiritual attack (1 Peter 4:12-13). Because we know that leaders are often attacked. We must pray that the Lord would guard them and even give them an unsurpassable joy.
Let's pray for the husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, sons and brothers. They will one day be asked to carry this weight, if they haven’t already. And as they carry that weight, we can stand for each other in prayer.
Because great leaders are often born out of many prayer-filled nights by the ones who love them.
Take heart as you pray, because God hears each and every word.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. She also hosts the weekly podcast “Temple Care” where she provides regular messages of encouragement. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.