Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman. (1 Corinthians 11:3)

Men like to joke about marriage. Some of the jokes are funny, but some are just plain cruel.

One joke we frequently hear from men is referring to another man’s marriage as “a ring through the nose”. When a man gets a good dose of this type of humor, it threatens his ego, so he often tries to present the opposite image: “I run the show at my house, and the little woman does everything I tell her to do.”

These images are disturbing, and they demonstrate how men often miss the point of leading and being led. Those images paint a picture of people trying to control and manipulate.

Christ tells us that He is the Head of our home. I’m certain that Christ has no part of controlling or manipulating. Instead, He is the head of man so that every husband can be certain that Someone is looking out for his needs. Christ is ready and available to hear about each man’s needs and abundantly provide. Christ is ready to protect and guide.

Christ also tells us that man is the head of woman. There is no hint of control or distatorship. Instead, each husband is responsible to provide for his wife, just as Christ provided for him. Because of Christ’s provision, each husband can protect, guide, and help make a path smooth.

God’s plan for intimacy involves a different type of leadership. It’s neither “a ring through the nose” or “I run the show at my house” in its approach, but an arm-in-arm style of facing problems together. Each person’s view and feelings are equally important, and when one takes the lead, it is a loving action meant to show the way so that the person following has a clear path.

ACTION ASSIGNMENT
What steps can you take to make sure that your leadership is loving and caring, not manipulative and controlling?

PRAYER: God, help me to lead my spouse arm-in-arm, rather than by manipulating or controlling. In Jesus’ name, amen.