There are many functions and purposes that each of us generally have in life. There are roles that we are to take being a son or daughter, a parent, a spouse, a coworker, etc. In today’s society it can be very confusing on who belongs where and exactly what the function is of the role we are to take on.

God requires that in our homes, we teach our children to follow Him and learn of His ways. God has given us parents the guidelines of our responsibilities and roles that we should take on. One of the very important roles is to see the security and strength of the unity in the marriage. With this comes along with understanding one another’s roles in the household.

One of the very important roles of the household is the priest. God originated this role to be for the man of the home. He has called the man to be the head of the house to see that his family is being taken care of physically, financially, mentally, educationally, and spiritually. They should be the one who sets the example and upholds the laws and rules in the home. It is fair to say that the authority should reside in the man of the house who should be following God with all his heart so that this role is fulfilled correctly. Along with this role comes the role of the priest which is the spiritual head of household.

There is a difference between being the head of the house and the priest of the home. Let’s look at the definition on what is the head of the house and what is a priest.

Head of House: A status held by the person in a household who is running the household and looking after a dependent. The function and responsibility of the head of house includes the physical, financial and emotional demands of sustaining a house and family. In the past the job description was more obvious between the man, who earned the money by working at his job, and the woman, who did the housework, looked after the children and did the shopping. It was a joint effort between the husband and wife with the understanding that the husband would have the final authority and the wife would help uphold that stand. It would mirror the way that Jesus interacts with His Bride to be, the church.

Priest: A priest is one who stands in the gap being the mediator between God and the people that are under him. When Jesus died Jesus became our mediator between God and man. However the responsibility of the priest is still needed to intercede and war for the family and their spiritual wellbeing. To be a priest you need to be spiritually mature and walking upright and selfless to take the position. You have to be humble and without pride.

A husband or a wife can take the position of this role depending on what God has planned for that family or who is stepping up to the plate. However, God intended the man of the house to take on this role as well. Unfortunately, nowadays with all that has transpired there are not many men who will step up to the plate to fulfill this role. But the question goes up as to why. Are the women of the home praying for their husbands as they ought to or are they too busy complaining, murmuring, gossiping, and nagging about their husbands?

To be the priest or spiritual head of the home is a weighty responsibility. To be a priest, you must live a life of complete holiness and one that is a true example of who Jesus is and teach His Word in wisdom and instructions for others to follow. You must know what it is to be obedient and willing to be the leader and sacrifice yourself for the family and what they need, even if it costs you the life that you wanted. You put down your own desires and needs for the people who have been placed under you and intercede for their needs, desires, and their struggles.

An example would be that if you see your wife who is sick, you would hold her up before God and would go into spiritual warfare in why is she sick and as it is manifesting itself physically, making sure that she is getting the proper care. You would not guilt her for the load you would have to bare but instead embrace it as an opportunity to show you love her.

Another example is if your husband had just lost his job. Instead of making little belittling comments on when are you going to get your new Gucci bag or what wants you have that aren’t being met; you would instead encourage him that you will get through it and pray for him to be lead to the right places. And instead of reminding him of his loss in that position, remind him of how important his role in the home is.

The role for the priest should never be a competition. No matter who holds the role, when you have a spouse that stands next to you, being the priest of the home is not as strenuous or difficult to do. In Ecclesiastes 4 God explains how working together helps keep the strength and the correct motives in what you are doing for your family.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

If the wife has to take one of these roles, it should be done with the understanding of interceding for her husband to take back their role. If God has told an individual that the husband will not be able to fulfill this role, be at peace knowing that Jesus will stand with you to help see you through and strengthen you for this role.

Also understand that as a priest of the home, it is your job to pray for the salvation of your home. It is your job to speak the scrolls of Heaven over your home and to see that any place where God shows you needs attention is being tended to.

This is a huge role and should not be taken lightly. God anoints the individual to fulfill this role in the family, but He also calls others in the church, His Body to be the priest of the Church so that they stand in the gap for the people and keep them uplifted before Him. It is not a position that can be removed out of you unless God takes it from you. It is a special position that just becomes a part of you.

Husbands I encourage you today, step up to the plate and see how important it is for you to be the priest of your home and to intercede for your church that you attend. Wives I encourage you today to pray that your husbands will resume this role and do not be afraid to assist him until he gets there. Remember if God has shown you otherwise, take on the role with full confidence that the Holy Spirit will be with you and will equip you to do this. Working together, you will see that the different roles that God set into place is for a reason and brings order that will bring in the unity and love that God intended it to be.