No one has to tell us that marriage in America is in trouble. Fifty percent will end in divorce — and the same is true among Christians. The problem isn't information. There are seminars, books, courses, and DVDs everywhere. The problem is application.

In this message from our series "Fullness," Pastor Ron opens Ephesians 5:22–24 and begins a new series within the series: God's Design for Family and Marriage. Tonight the focus is on the role of the wife.

The Principle — Submission: The word submit (hupotasso) means to rank underneath out of devotion — not duty, not blind obedience, and certainly not inferiority. Jesus submitted to the Father, yet is fully equal with Him. Submission in marriage is about function, not value. God never calls us to do something He doesn't give us the ability to do, and He never calls us to do something that isn't for our best.

What Submission Is Not: It doesn't mean inferiority — spiritually, wives and husbands are equally heirs together. It doesn't mean blind obedience — if a husband asks his wife to do something unbiblical or illegal, Peter's answer applies: we must obey God rather than men. And it doesn't mean husbands have the right to control, dictate, or order.

The Pattern — As to the Lord: The wife submits to her husband because he is the functional head of the home, just as Christ is head of the church. That's not a cultural preference — it's God's design for order and blessing in the marriage relationship.

The Gift of Influence: As one wife told her husband who thought he was the head, "No — I'm the neck that moves the head." The woman who willingly comes alongside her husband, encourages him, and trusts his leadership holds one of the most powerful gifts in a marriage: the gift of influence.