The Wife's Responsibility in Marriage Part 2

The Wife’s Responsibility in Marriage Part 2

Session 6 | Episode 2

God has designated the wife as helper in the relationship

The Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” – Genesis 2:18

God has designated the wife as helper in the marriage relationship. This is her role.

When we hear the word ‘helper’ applied to us as wives it is easy to think of ourselves as just domestic ‘helpers’ to whom instructions are given and obeyed. But at the time Moses wrote these words, he was actually lifting up the dignity of women. The word Moses used to describe the wife as a ‘helper’ is the exact same word God uses to describe Himself.

"And I will ask God and He will give you another helper..."

John 14:16

Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is my ‘helper.’ The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present ‘help’ in trouble.”

John 14:16 And I will ask God and He will give you another ‘helper’ (Christ referring to the Holy Spirit).

None of us can do anything without God’s help. In the same way, our husbands can’t do without our help. If we are not fulfilling our role as helper, then we are fighting as a competitor. Competitors do the opposite of filling gaps and supporting weaknesses. They exploit those weaknesses to gain the upper hand. Our husbands experience a lot of competition in the work place and if he feels he is coming home to more competition, he may be reluctant to come home.

Being the helper in the marriage relationship is far from being passive or inferior and if we are a ‘helper’, it implies that our husbands need help – our help – that’s powerful.

Presented by

Patty Borgert

Patty has a degree in Family Studies from New Mexico State University in the US. She has lived in Africa for 45 years and has worked in Eswatini, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She and her husband, Ken, have been married for thirty-five years and have two children. They have been working with FamilyLife, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, for thirty-four years.