Our priest would always tell us to die to yourself. What does it mean to "die to yourself" in marriage?

It means for a husband to put his wife first, sacrificing himself for her benefit and for the good of the family. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5;25) Wives die to themselves by being subject to their husbands. "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church" (Eph 5:22-23).

This means that the husband is the final decision-maker, and that his decisions should always favor not his own good, but the good of the family. The more Christ-like he is in putting his wife and children first, the easier it will be for his wife to submit to his decisions. If he is selfish, not only will it be harder for his wife to submit, it may be wrong, since she has responsibility also for the good of the family.

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