Marriage Leadership - CEO or Farmhand?

I've been cautioned about talking to people about male leadership in marriage. My wife and I are creating a web site to build on the momentum of this blog. In putting together the verbiage in the "about us" section I used the phrase "...help men be effective leaders in their marriages...".  I suppose this can be seen as controversial.  Maybe it "raises hackles", especially for some women.  

I feel very strongly that the the whole idea of male leadership in the marriage is a misunderstood concept.  I have mixed emotions about this misunderstanding.  On the one hand I find it depressing that, even in Christian marriages, popular culture has taken us so far away from the truth.  On the other hand, I get excited about the opportunities to talk to people about this truth.  

John 13: 4,5 and 14, 15

4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around is waist.  5) After that, he poured water into a  basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

14) Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you also should wash one another's feet.  15) I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 

You see, being a leader in your marriage is about significance - not about importance.  Jesus says in John that leadership starts by rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty.  It's not a title (i.e. Wiley E. Coyote -  Super Genius),  it's about humble action.  It's helping with dishes, homework, and cleaning bathrooms.  It's about recognition of important dates and events.  It's about date night, love notes, and sappy cards.  It's about being present and engaged.  It's about mowing the lawn and cleaning the gutters.  It's about recognizing and patiently understanding PMS and reacting appropriately to it.  It's about rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty.  Most importantly, it's about letting the Spirit of God inside you overflow out of you and into your relationship with your wife.  

If that doesn't do it for you let me give you one other illustration.  I heard a radio interview on a local radio station after 9/11 when we first started sending troops to Afghanistan.  The interview was between the radio DJ, a soldier who was ready to depart for the Middle East, and his dad.  The DJ asked the dad how he felt about his son going to Afghanistan to fight the terrorist influences there.  The dad explained that they lived on the family farm and that farms call their employees or workers "hands" (i.e. farm-hand).  A hand is someone who is there to help the general cause and direction of the farm.  Whether it's safely running the biggest equipment on the farm or shoveling manure out of the barn, a hand is a person who "helps".  When saying goodbye, this man told his son, the soldier, to be a hand.

No matter what your title is - leadership more about being a hand than anything else.  Jesus set the example for how to be a hand in to our wives in John 13.  In doing this, he shows us what leadership is.

Thanks for checking in.  

Serve your way to Significance

By now you know that I'm a big proponent of male leadership in marriage and home.  When I talk to people about husbands and wives and the roles they play in a marriage I get all kinds of responses.  When I talk about the roles of husbands and wives in the context of the Bible things get even more interesting, especially when I'm talking to women.  If you've read any of my stuff you know that I hold I Peter 3:1-7 as the model for Christian marriages.  Why Peter decided to talk about the woman's role first I have no idea.  People get so upset of the first two or three verses that they never get to verse 7.  

I Peter 3:1-7

1Wives, 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 words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

 7Husbands, 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.

These verses are not about stuffing women into insignificance while promoting men above them.  In fact, in verse 7 Peter says just the opposite.  In terms of salvation and eternal life, women are equals. 

Male leadership in the marriage is NOT:

• Oppressive - "I will decide for my wife!"
• Dictatorial - "You will do as I say!"
• Egotistical - "I know what's best!"

Luke adds another twist to things when he recounts the experience of the last supper before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

 24Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

If we overlay the statements of Jesus according to Luke over top of what Peter says in I Peter 3:7 we get a clear picture of how men achieve significance in our marriages.  Significance (i.e. effective leadership) is achieved through an attitude - service.  

Male leadership, as God intended it, IS: supportive, considerate, loving, collaborative, wise, respectful, humble, transparent, teaching by example, and dependent on the Holy Spirit.  Honestly, what wife wouldn't want this in a husband?

Here are two examples:

First, check out a book called the 5 Love Languages by Dr Gary Chapman.  If you don't have it, buy a copy.  In the book Dr Chapman refers to 5 basic behaviors that husbands and wives both relate to.  Everyone can relate to words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.  Dr. Chapman challenges husbands and wives to learn not only what your love language is - but more importantly, the love language of your spouse.  Then, speak to her in that language.   

The second example goes back to a chat I had with Michigan State Senator, Bill Hardiman.  Mr Hardiman talked to me about sowing seeds.  He recounted to me a time in his marriage when his wife was angry with him all the time and they were miserable together.  Faced with divorcing a second time, he decided to make some changes.  He called it "sowing good seeds".  He encouraged me by saying that all seed takes time to grow - even the bad seeds.  If you've been sowing bad seed it's still going to grow and you have to deal with the responsibility of what you've sown.  Yet, he was very specific in saying that the same is true of sowing good seed.  It takes time to grow.  You don't plant a kernel of corn today and get a full ear tomorrow.  Still, the more you sow the better off you'll be in the future.   Mr Hardiman's consistent effort to sow good seed over time proved to be the thing that turned his marriage around.  Over time, the bad stuff ran it's course and died out.   In it's place, the good seeds grew and the good things in his relationship with his wife grew.

Both Dr. Chapman and Senator Hardiman show us how an attitude of service can help us answer God's call to leadership and significance in our marriages and in our homes.  

In I John 13:17, the Apostle John says, "Now that you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  

Thanks for stopping by.