Many people today are searching  for solutions to the heartaches plaguing home today.
We all want a happy home.
I've never heard anyone say he or she got married to be un-happy.
Still, many families experience un-happiness.
   The Secret of a happy home - if it can be called a secret - is in the Bible,
the most marvelous book of all time.
The Bible teaches us that the Christian marriage is a triangle - made up of three people,
not just two.
The third person is Jesus Christ.
When Christ is in the heart of the man and the woman,
the fondation for a happy home has been laid.
And when we follow the principles He had laid out in his Word,
we can have a happy home.


  HUSBAND, RECOGNIZE YOUR PART

The Bible says something amazing to husbands :
"For the husband is the head of the wife
as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior"
( Ephesians 5:23. )

   This means the husband symbolizes Christ to the family.
He is the head of the home.
What does it mean to be "the head" and a symbol of Christ ?
  
First, it means that the husband must love in a sacrifical way.
The Bible says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her"
( Ephesians 5:25. )
In a happy home, the husband sacrificially loves his wife week after week,
month after month, year after year.
As time passes, he loves her deeper and deeper
and shows his love through his actions.
 
Second, the loving husband supports and cares for his wife.
"After all, no one ever hated his own body,
but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the Church"
( Ephesians 5:29-30. )
  A Husband must take care of his wife just as he shoes his own body.
Part of taking of your wife includes supporting her materially and financially.
You have the responsibillity to provide for the needs of the home and
to take care of your wife with all the passion and strength of your being.
  Another aspect of caring for your wife is working to understand her,
then acting according to what you have learned.
If your wife likes flowers, surprise her with a dozen roses.
Treat her with courtesy. Hold her hand as you walk down the street.
  Finally, the husband who loves with her in a holy and honourable way.
The Bible says husbands are to be completely free from sexual immorality. 
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life"
( 1 Thessalonians 4:7. )
A husband must have mastery over himself and not be controlled by lustful desires.


THE WOMEN'S ROLE

God also has given principles for women to follow.

   First, the Bible tells the wife that she must respect her husband
( Ephesians 5:33. )
Respect has to do with the attitude of the heart.
not only is this an outward demonstration, but also an internal appreciation.
With a respect filled with affection,
the wife should encourage he husband and show him love.

   Second, the Bible says,
"Wives must submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife
as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of which he is the Savior"
( Ephesians 5:22-23. )
   Because the husband has been disignated by God to be the head of the home,
the wife is subject to him.
Your husband is responsible for making decisions of the family. 
That's not to say you can't share your thoughts with your husband and offer advice. However, you should submit to your husband's decision
as though submitting to the Lord.
   And finally, the Bible teaches that the wife must be pure.
"Let them, see the purity and reverence of your lives"
( 1 Peter3:2. )
   Secret and improper desires must be cut off.
Purity is not fabricated, but is produced by Christ in one's heart. 
It reveals itself in words, looks dress, and actions.
The woman who desires a happy home does not flirt with other men
because she has dedicated herself to her husband.
 
FORGIVING EACH OTHER DAILY
What a wonderful frangrance there is no the words like,
"please forgive me for what I've done wrong."
If you want happiness to last in your family,
you will have to forgive your spouse many time.
Scripture says,
" Be kind and compassionate you"
( Ephesians 4:32. )
God has forgiven our many sins through Christ.
As we remember how much God has forgiven us,
it's much easier to forgive others.


AN UNBELIEVING SPOUSE
Many spouses have asked me,
"Pastor Bill,
my husband ( or wife ) does not want to believe in Christ.
What should I do ?
"The best answer is found in the Bible :
wives in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that,
if any of them do not believe the word,
they may be won over without talk by the behaviour of their wives,
when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
( 1 Peter 3:1-2. )

The Apostle Paul Give this Counsel :
To the rest I say this ( I, not the Lord ) :
if any brother has wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live him,
he must not divorce her.
And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her,
she must not divorce him.
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctifiedd
through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been
sanctified through her believing husband.
( I Corinthians 7:12-14. )

How valuable is the example of a spouse whose life is controlled by Christ!

THE SECRET: CHRIST IN YOUR HEART

Jesus Christ is the secret of happiness.
He must be in the heart of each member of the family.
He must be the Lord of daily life.
With Christ in our hearts, the
home is a taste of heaven on earth.
Still. All families-even Christian ones-have struggles and times of difficulty.
No one is free from problems-ecnomic difficulties,
unemployment, the death of a loved one, unpleasant decisions.
We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who warned his disciples:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
( John 16:33. )

A happy, harmonious family will not happen instantly.
We must work and work for the happiness of our marriage and family.
We must spend time with our family.
A happy family is the result of a couple's dedication to pursue Christ.
Work determinedly, take responsibilities,
put Christ in the center of your life,
and soon you will see results.
May God open his heavenly windows for your life, home and family today and forever; and bless you according to his riches, is my prayer for you, Amen.