Understanding Our God Given Roles In A Family - Ephesians 5:22 - 31, 6:1 - 4

Every man and every woman on the face of the earth are on a mission.
Jeremiah 1:5, 10
5 - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
10 - See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant."

Being in a family means there is a mission and a role for you in that family.

ROLES IN A FAMILY

Man (Husband and Father)

1. Loving Leadership (Oversight Role)
   The wife is the manager of home and Husband is the manager of wife
   I Corinthians 11:3 - But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
   Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
   This is a STEWARDSHIP position and the man is expected to be FAITHFUL.
   I Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
   
2. Provider (Bread Winner)
   I Timothy 5:8 - But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
   
3. Train Children (Teaching + moulding + imparting life skills)
   Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
   Proverbs 4:1 - Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding
   Biblical Example – Abraham – Genesis 18:17 – 19
   19 - For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; ...

Woman (Wife and Mother)

1.     Helper
God created the woman as a help meet for the man
Genesis 2:18 -  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

This is a VALUE ADDITION Role - Women are AGENTS OF CIVILIZATION.

A man cannot be ALL that God want him to be without the input of a woman.

2. Home Maker (Home Manager) – Proverbs 31:10 - 31
   27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
   28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
3. Training
   - Mothers have a unique ability to train up children from toddler to adult
   Proverbs 1:8 - My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
   
   Mother are expected to teach Girls to be Wives and Mothers
   Titus 2:4 - That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Children (Both Biological and Adopted)

1.     Honour Your Parents – Ephesians 6:1 -2
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

2.     Preserve the security and the dignity of parents
Psalms 127:3 -5
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Reference
Ephesians 5:22 -31
 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

Ephesians 6:1 -41 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.