Who is the benefit of marriage?

The shift in educational attainment and economic empowerment has caused a new trend that centers on the benefit of marriage for the husband and wife. Since the beginning of times the benefit of marriage has focused on the wife and children where the husband was the primary provider. Recent studies indicate that the benefit of marriage has shifted which will result in additional divorces unless couples choose to offset this trend by replicating the original design of marriage.

According to the article, It’s Now Easier For Men to “Marry Up” Than It Is For Women, a recent study has found that the benefit of marriage has shifted from the woman to the man. The study reveals that in the past woman had an benefit of marriage over men. When a woman married she was more likely to have the benefit of marriage due to the potential husband having a higher income base. 

The study, which was authored by two sociology professors—University of Kansas’ ChangHwan Kim and Texas A&M University’s Arthur Sakamoto—relies on data from the U.S. Census from 1990 and 2000, and the 2009–2011 American Community Survey.

After examining the data—which the researchers limited to people and nuclear families between the ages of 35 and 44 due to the reasoning that by those ages people have likely finished their education and gotten married—the researchers found that women’s annual personal income increased three times faster than men’s incomes from 1990 to 2009-2011 (even though, yes, the pay gap still exists). Additionally, the researchers found that the number of women with a bachelors degree or higher increased by 39 percent in the same time span, while the number of men with a college degree or higher only increased by 10 percent. 

The shift in the benefit of marriage will correlate to the shift in the mindset of the husband and wife. According to the bible, the husband is the leader and companion. The role of the husband in the Bible begins with leadership. Ephesians 5:21-24 states:

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, 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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

Ephesians 5:21-24 is supported by 1 Corinthians 11:3. 1 Corinthians 11:3, says:

“But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” Since the primary role of the husband is to be the leader, it is inclusive of provision and protection. A husband will never influence his wife if he does not care for her. He can demand and she may follow as a result, but he will never truly have her heart unless he provides for her needs, cares for her well-being, and protects her both physically and spiritually.

According to Scripture:

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” (Colossians 3:19). “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).

The shift in the educational and economical benefit in marriage can cause the wife and potential wives to believe that the husband is neither a leader, protector, and provider. However, what wives must realize is that they are called to help the husband. Helping the husband will always provide a benefit of marriage.

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In Christ,

Dr. Derrick and Mrs. Sheila Campbell

PO Box 4707 Cherry Hill, NJ 08012

(856) 566-3267

www.advancedmarriagetraining.com

Published Books

  • Leading Your Marriage into the Promised Land
  • Leading Your Marriage into the Promised Land (Workbook for husbands & Wives)
  • Advanced Marriage Training for Singles
  • Husband Leadership Principles

                                  


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El Shaddia Christian Assembly

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