Excellence in Family Living

your lead and trust your leadership. What Paul is saying to the Christian ladies of Colossee is that when your man is a godly man, let him lead. Paul is teaching that you’ve been set-free by Christ ladies of Colossee. Your womanhood will be honored and respected within the New Community like never before in history. The gospel has given to you a new status. Salvation and redemption privilege is for everyone equally. But, Paul cautions, don’t use this new freedom that you’ve been given to throw the home out of balance. God has ordained that husbands should lead in the home. Now, there are some other issues involved if your husband is not a believer or if he doesn’t lead. But here, Paul is addressing families within the New Community. And for him, it is inconceivable that a godly woman would not allow her aspiring godly husband to lead. He’s not perfect. But he’s out there as leader and pointman trying to determine which way the family out to go. Paul’s word to you is that you are to be committed to following his leadership and it is fitting in the Lord.

C. Illustration: The deacons and I are working our way through a book by Stu Weber entitled, Tender Warrior. Early in this book, he compares husbands and fathers to the wagon train Scout. You’ve seen the Scout at work in some of your favorite westerns. He rides ahead of the wagon train, checking out the trail, looking for Indians, scouting out water holes, scanning the skyline for upcoming storms, and listening for the muted rumble of a buffalo herd. The Husband-Scout looks ahead, gives direction, anticipates needs, and defines destinations.

D. Suggestions: Being subject to your Husband-Scout has nothing to do with yielding to the whims of someone who tries to boss you around. You don’t have to put up with that. Let him get his own water. This is not servile and menial bondage to the Archie Bunkers of the world that Paul advocates here. But here’s the point. When your man is out there as Scout, sincerely trying to lead the family into a visionary and preferable future regarding the bigger, more important issues of life, let him lead. Rather than ridiculing his decisions and taking matters into your own hands, as some were apt to do, Paul said submit to his leadership; be loyal to his leadership. Both husbands and wives need to learn how to appeal wisely, not asserting oneself rebelliously or nagging one another. Reassure your husband in his leadership role by asking for his opinion. Give your husband plenty of room to grow and catch on. Conversely, if you want to dig a grave for your marriage, here’s how to do it. Never admire him. Always complain. Take shots at him when he gets back into “camp” after a long day of scouting. You ladies have been uniquely equipped to make life comfortable within the wagon. But your husband has been equipped to ride out ahead and insure the direction of where this whole thing is headed. Typically, you wives do great at planning an agenda and seeing life as a ladder with a series of steps to climb to get to where you want to be. Your husband has been equipped as Scout-Leader to make sure that your ladder is leaning against the right wall. Let him lead.

E. Notation: Men, even if your wife refuses to do some of these things, your calling is to still love her as Christ loved the church. It feels like death, but it’s what we are to do.

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