Question: Mr. McLemore, I want to make my marriage stronger. Can you suggest some things that will help?

Answer: The basic principles about marriage that are taught in the New Testament form a sound approach to building up your marriage relationship. Please read Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Peter 3:1-7. These passages stress the husband’s being ultimately responsible for the well-being of the wife on the basis of knowledge of her needs and loving his wife as himself. Christ’s self-giving love is the model for the husband. This is entirely different from a dictatorial approach, and when the husband fulfills his responsibility according to this teaching, a wife may willingly, on the basis of respect, entrust herself to her husband for him to care for her needs. (This is the true meaning of wives’ submitting to their husbands). While our culture places much emphasis upon romance and physical attraction as key elements in marriage, there is nothing which is more important to a strong and fulfilling marriage relationship than Christian love and respect.