What Does the Bible Say About Husbands? Servant Leadership in Marriage
By Evan Hardwick, Senior Minister, Lyndon Christian Church — Louisville, KY
If you've ever searched "what does the Bible say about husbands" or "what does servant leadership in marriage look like," this one's for you. In week two of our Blueprints for the Home sermon series at Lyndon Christian Church in Louisville's East End, we turned to Ephesians 5:25–33, Paul's words to husbands.
Leaders Eat Last
In his book Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek tells how Marine officers go to the back of the chow line while the youngest Marines eat first. It's great leadership advice, and it works: leaders who sacrifice build teams that trust them and perform better.
The Bible asks for the same sacrifice with a different motive. The world says, "Give yourself up so you'll succeed." Scripture says, "Give yourself up so the one you lead can flourish."
Paul Gave Husbands One Command: Love
In a culture where husbands held all the legal, social, and financial power, Paul never told them to rule, direct, or make the decisions. He gave one command: love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. That's the language of a cross, not a throne.
The goal of that love is her flourishing: a wife who is more whole, more holy, and more like Jesus because she's married to you. And like Christ, a husband goes first. He doesn't wait for her to earn it.
That love is neither domineering nor passive. A husband doesn't check out and leave the hard conversations to his wife. He speaks the truth in love, prays with her, and nourishes and cherishes her the way he naturally cares for himself, because the two are one flesh.
Love and Respect Belong to Both
Paul's closing call for husbands to love and wives to respect echoes verse 21's call to mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. It isn't that men need respect and women need love. Both need both. Husbands give up power, and wives don't grab it. That's a home where the load is evenly shared.
A Church Where Leaders Go to the Back of the Line
Louisville is blessed with churches of every size, including large congregations like Southeast Christian Church and Northeast Christian Church. But if you're searching for a "church near me" in 40222 or 40242 where leadership looks like service, Lyndon Christian Church offers something different:
Your pastor knows your name. Fill out a connect card on Sunday and you'll hear from him that same afternoon.
Honest teaching on marriage and family, with room to talk it through afterward with real people.
A church home for the whole family, with a nursery, kids and youth programs, and a 10 am Bible study.
Close to home, right next to Robsion Park and minutes from Lyndon, St. Matthews, Middletown, Prospect, Westport Rd., Brownsboro Rd., and Shelbyville Rd.
Looking for Christian Marriage Help in Louisville?
Whether you're a husband, a wife, single, or simply looking for a Bible-teaching church in Louisville's East End, join us this Sunday. Next week, we'll look at what Ephesians 6 says to parents and children.
Lyndon Christian Church 8125 La Grange Rd., Louisville, KY 40242 · (502) 425-7700 Sunday Bible Study 10 am · Worship 11 am · lyndonchristian.org
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