25 Marriage Devotional: Embracing God’s Order in Marriage

Show notes

About This Episode Week 25 of our 30-week marriage devotional series is all about God's order in marriage and the fruitfulness that flows from it. We start with the big picture: God is a God of order, and you can see it everywhere, from the way the parts of a single cell depend on each other to the day-by-day structure of creation. Then we get specific. 1 Corinthians 11:3 lays out Christ over the husband, the husband over the wife, and God over Christ, and Paul roots that order in creation itself. Aaron unpacks what headship really means for husbands: submitting to Christ the same way we ask our wives to submit to us, following the example of Jesus, who did nothing on His own authority. Jennifer shares the wife's calling as a perfectly fit helper and the peace that comes from walking in God's design. We finish with John 15 and Galatians 5, because the fruit we all want only grows when we abide in Christ.

About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.

In This Episode 00:00 — Intro — Opening card 00:27 — Welcome to Week 25 — Aaron opens week 25 of the 30-week series on God's order in marriage and invites listeners to share the show. 01:51 — Why Order Matters — Without order life is chaos, and the design in everything is one of the strongest evidences for a Creator. 02:50 — The Cell as Proof of Design — Every part of a cell depends on the others, and the odds against them evolving at once point to God. 05:40 — Chaos Comes From Wanting Our Own Way — Disorder and a lack of peace at home usually trace back to a "my way is better" mindset. 06:39 — Order in the Church — 1 Corinthians 14:40 calls for all things to be done decently and in order, with different gifts serving one purpose. 07:39 — Order Out of Chaos in Creation — Genesis 1–2 and Colossians 1:16–17 show God bringing order from formlessness and calling it good. 09:37 — God's Ways Are Higher — Isaiah 55:8–11 and how we disagree with God through our actions, like walking in anger. 12:59 — God's Order for Marriage — 1 Corinthians 11:3: Christ over the husband, the husband over the wife, and God over Christ. 14:59 — The Created Order — 1 Corinthians 11:8–12: woman made from man, man born of woman, and all things from God. 18:50 — Order Comes From God, Not Society — Headship was given on day six, and husbands hold it as a responsibility for God's will, not a privilege. 20:49 — Leading Without Christ — A husband who demands submission but won't submit to Christ brings pain and brokenness into his home. 22:15 — Submit as You Ask to Be Submitted To — Husbands are to submit to Christ in the same way wives are called to submit to their husbands. 23:41 — Jesus' Submission to the Father — John 6:38, Luke 22:42, John 5:19–30 and John 12:49–50 show that Christ never acted on His own authority. 25:34 — Derived Authority — How we lead is tied to how we are led, and our roles are not contingent on our spouse's obedience. 27:31 — Questions for Husbands — Are we seeking God's wisdom, protecting our families, and letting His Word be our foundation? 28:29 — How Christ's Example Changed Aaron — The Gethsemane prayer God used to save their marriage, and a husband's mission to lead his family to Christ. 30:35 — The Wife's Calling — Submitting to and respecting her husband is an active ministry, not a passive role. 31:57 — A Perfectly Fit Helper — Genesis 2:18, the Holy Spirit as helper, and the garden ministry God gave the first couple to cultivate together. 36:07 — The Unique Gifts of a Wife — Compassion, a gentle spirit, resolve, persistent prayer, and building a house into a home. 37:34 — When Roles Get Swapped — Chaos comes quickly when order is abandoned, and a personal relationship with Christ is the fuel that holds it together. 38:30 — Abide in Christ — John 15:4–5 and a reading from Wife After God on fruitfulness through abiding. 40:24 — The Fruit of the Spirit — Galatians 5:22–25 and why real fruit comes from the Spirit, not from trying harder. 42:22 — Impact Despite Failures — Romans 8:1, the seeds inside the fruit, and leaving a legacy of God's order for your children. 44:49 — Marriage After God Quote — A marriage after God understands derived authority and lives by the order God has placed in marriage. 45:19 — Discussion Question — Will an increase in fruit affect your relationships? Plus the counterfeit-money analogy. 48:02 — Challenge of the Week — Eat your favorite fruit and pray together for an increase in fruitfulness. 48:59 — Closing Prayer — Aaron prays for couples to embrace God's order and abide in Christ.

Scripture Referenced 1 Corinthians 14:40, Genesis 1–2, Colossians 1:16–17, Isaiah 55:8–11, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 11:8–12, John 6:38, Luke 22:42, John 5:19, John 5:30, John 12:49–50, Genesis 2:18, John 15:4–5, Galatians 5:22–25, Romans 8:1

Resources from This Episode Husband After God by Aaron Smith Wife After God by Jennifer Smith Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith Shop Marriage After God Full show notes and blog post

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