Role Of The Husband In A Marriage
The role of the husband in a marriage is often misunderstood in light of the stereotypes and images we see in the world today. The movie industry and Hollywood has depicted the role of the husband in a way that focuses only on the material and physical aspects. Very little focus is on the emotional aspects.
Leadership:
The main role of the husband in a marriage is leadership; Leadership in the home and leadership in the marriage relationship. Unfortunately man men are confused about what this really means. They lack a good role model and mentors are hard to find. Unfortunately the TV images don’t help. Another issue is that many men are insecure and are reluctant to assume the leadership role.
As a result men are becoming more passive as leaders. They tend to take the easy road with less risk and surrender the leadership role to the wife. This is especially true if the wife has a strong, aggressive personality. Men often lose the mental and verbal battle with the wife and surrender the leadership role.
Servant:
In the traditional marriage, the man is not only in the position of leadership as the head of the household but also as the servant. As the servant, he has the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of the household. He takes the responsibility to provide a secure and stable environment in the home. The husband should make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the needs of the household are met. His sacrificial actions as the head of the household should provoke the wife to voluntarily submit to his leadership. She can do this only when she knows that he has her best interest at heart.
Love and Sacrifice:
The role of the husband does not stop there. In addition to unconditional and sacrificial love, the husband must be an example of emotional stability and discipline. In times of crisis it is the role of the husband to provide level headed direction and guidance for the home and family. The husband should be an example to the whole family of acceptable behavior, self control, and work ethic. He must also provide the vision for the future of the home. He is responsible for setting achievable goals that can be celebrated as a family.
Provider and Protector:
The next major role of the husband is to be the provider and protector. This is probably the most important role for continued success of the family. It consists of caring for the wife and family, providing for their needs, and protecting them physically, emotionally and spiritually. The wife needs security and wants to “feel’ secure in the home and in the marriage. Financial security is a big part of the overall security of the home. Marital security is a big part of the security of the marriage.
Companion:
Finally, the husband and wife should complement each other with a healthy companionship based on love, respect, and support. The role of the husband is to be the initiator and lead in this aspect. Husbands and wives should be helpers of one another and work together as a team. They should complement each other not compete with each other. They should experience life’s adventures together and share life together in the good times and in the bad times. The role of the husband is to initiate that level of companionship. To foster that kind of healthy relationship throughout the marriage. As you go through the various phases of marriage, the role of the husband is to ensure that the companionship remains intact.
Hope it helps,
