Love and Respect - Hierarchy/Authority

Tonight, we talked about the H and A in CHAIRS. C stands for conquest, which we talked about last week. H stands for HIERARCHY and A stands for AUTHORITY


We defined hierarchy as "chain of command; structure; authority. We also spoke of authority that we are willing to submit to…examples…police, law, boss, mom/dad, and basically anyone that we respect who is put in a position of authority over us. The basic crux of hierarchy comes directly from scripture in Ephesians 5:22 that we are to submit to our husbands as to the Lord. God wired our men with an innate desire to protect and provide, and most women's hands went up in agreement that we want our husbands to protect us, provide for us, and to lead our homes. That is the place that God desires us to be where He (God) is top in authority, then comes our man, and then us. Our husbands are called to love us and lay down their lives for us as Christ did for the church, and we are called to submit (to give over or yield to the authority of another) to our husbands as the church submits to Christ. The key to authority is that much responsibility comes with it, as Christ well knows. The common bond between men loving their wives as Christ loves the church and women submitting to their husbands as the church submits to Christ, is CHRIST. We can't do this thing without Him!!!



We've talked quite a bit about "good will", and that is also another huge component in making this Love and Respect thing work. We have to have good will toward one another or we will not love like Christ, or be willing to submit to anything.

Good willed is defined as friendly disposition; usual mood or temperament; not to intentionally harm; serve; someone who is "for you". Here's where the hard truths really lie. If we are not good willed toward one another in our marriage, we are in quick sand with no movement. All of these things we've been talking about with the COUPLE acronym for the women and CHAIRS acronym for the men cannot move forward if we do not have good will toward our spouse and they to us.

Life in marriage is HARD.  It's work, but it's so worth fighting for.  Continue to plow forward in learning more about yourselves in marriage by diving into His Word to see what He has to say to guide your way in marriage.  The blessings are abundant for those who roll up their sleeves and live and grow together.  Our marriages are so worth it!  Let's continue to build the armor of steel around our hearts and marriages that are so susceptible to the evil one's lurkings.  STAND GUARD!!