One thing I have really appreciated about Martha Peace’s The Excellent Wife is its Biblical clarity. She doesn’t sugar coat anything. She presents what God expects of a Christian wife in her straightforward way and then helps the reader see what they must do to obey God’s call. If you are married, or hope to be married, I highly recommend this book!

Chapter 6 dishes up another ample serving of conviction as Peace discusses God’s perfect plan in the different roles of husband and wife. I remember a time the quote I’m about to share would have been a jaw-clencher for me. I would have bristled and felt defensive at the idea that I wasn’t designed to be the leader, he was. But praise the Lord that He knows me better than I do. He has designed men and women for unique purposes and He is glorified when we lay down our imperfect issues with His perfect plan and wholeheartedly embrace His perspective. The sooner we do this, the more we will be enjoying the peace and contentment that comes from taking God at His Word.

If your desire as a Christian wife is to glorify God, you must first understand God’s perspective. He is the only one who has the insight of Creator and Redeemer. What is God’s plan for the role of husbands and wives from His perspective? There are at least five issues to consider.

1) Men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

2) In the order of creation, man was created first. The husband was created to rule over the earth; the wife, later, was created to be a “helper” that would be suitable for him. Both, none-the-less, were created in God’s image, but each one was created to carry out a different role.

3) Woman was created for the man, not man for the woman. “For a man is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from
woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not
created for woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” 1 Corinthians 11:7-9

4) The effects of the fall of man. In the beginning, God created man as ruler of the earth. Man’s wife was created to be a “helper suitable” for him. As a result of their sin, God pronounced judgment or a curse on them both. There were many painful effects of their rebellion and disobedience: death, thorns and thistles in the ground, pain in childbirth, and a power struggle between the man and his wife. (Genesis 3:16)

Whereas before the fall there was harmony between Adam and Eve in fulfilling their roles, now there would be a power-play as they both sought to dominate the other…Subsequently, Christ came to redeem us from the curse and if you are “in Christ” (as Christians), you and your husband have the potential to regain much of what was lost at the fall of man…you do have the capacity to have the harmony in your marriage that God intended.

5) The husband was and still is to be the head of his wife (Ephesians 5:23). Your husband is to be the one in charge…(meaning) that he is responsible for managing his home.

The Excellent Wife, p. 47-52

Peace’s goal in this chapter is to get us, as Christian wives, to see that our role is to glorify God and submit to our husband. We might find it easy to see that Eve was created to be Adam’s helper, but how can we do better at fulfilling our role of “helper” for our husbands?