Husband and wife were created as equals as stated in Genesis
1:27 NLT, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” This was in the very beginning when God created the earth and everything on it. So, this is the foundation for marital relationships.

In Ephesians 5:22 is where Paul starts to explains the roles for each husband and wife as designed by God. He goes on to say that our marriage relationship should mirror the relationship between Christ and the church. This means that Christ so loved the church that he gave up His life for it! So, for us, it means we are to love our husbands and put their needs above our own. We are to have a servants’ heart. The Bible states, we are to LOVE above all else. This is a fruit of the spirit. He first loved us. So first, we love God, with all our heart, soul and mind. HE IS ALWAYS FIRST. It means that we love our husbands as Christ loves us!

When a woman chooses to submit to her husband, she does so from a position of strength. It means she loves him, she feels safe, loved and
protected by her husband. It means to serve your husband voluntarily with your strengths so that together, you are stronger and more unified. This is actually an obedience to the Lord.

Wives and husbands have different roles and responsibilities in the marriage. Everyone has their own strengths. Generally speaking, for example, men are physically stronger than women. Women are more
in touch with their emotions. We could go on and on, but that is not what I am trying to explain here. The most important thing we must learn is that God is at the center of every marriage. His decision is
the most important. We should all go to our Father first with everything, no matter how trivial it seems. First, we talk to God about it. Then, we listen for His answers.

For husbands, Ephesians 5:25-30, means to love your wife as Jesus loved the church. Jesus is the spiritual head of the church. He shows us how to live without sin in this life, how to love and forgive others, how to serve others, and how to work only for the good of others. Jesus was sent by God to be the spiritual head of the church. Jesus is who we are to model our lives after.

As Christ is the spiritual leader of the church, thus husbands are to be the spiritual leader of their wives/family. The husband’s position is primarily a spiritual position. He shows us how we are to
love, serve, and honor wives with time, energy, commitment, and devotion. He shows her by example, how to love, forgive and work for her good.

The final verses in Ephesians 5, basically says in verse 31, a man leaves his parents to be joined to his wife and the two are united into one. Verse 32 reads, This is a great illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. And verse 33 culminates it with, So again I say,  each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect the husband.

This is the way God, our Father, designed a Covenant Marriage, in my perspective.