A Biblical Blueprint for Loving Leadership in a Home "Commit to the lord whatever you do, and you plans will succeed." I am convinced that most men if they have a plan and know what to do, are willing to take the steps to build a loving, lasting relationship. The problem is that the average man doesn't know intuitively what it takes to do so-nor does he realize the incredible benefits that a strong relationship at home brings to nearly every area of his life. For a man, the first place he should check when it comes to building a strong family is a blueprint found in Ephesians 5. In this important chapter, the man is called to be the "head" of his wife-the primary lover-just as Christ is the head of the church and the lover of the church. How did Christ lead in love? By serving, by committing Himself to our best interest, and by doing so regardless of the cost. The greatest among us are simply following a pattern Christ set down-namely serving those He loved and for whom He laid down his life. Yet, let's take the command for a man to be a loving leader in the home, and move it down to the shoe-leather level. What does it mean to be the "leader" in a home? When it comes to "leadership" and headship in the home, one specific guideline is found in versed 28-29, " . . . husbands ought to love their wives, as their own bodies . . . (for) no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ also does the church" (emphasis added). If we are following the biblical pattern for family leadership, we men are to nurture and cherish our wives (and children). We do so just as we nurture and cherish our own bodies-and as Christ nurtures and cherishes the church. When a husband makes that first important decision to truly honor those entrusted to him, he takes the first step toward being the loving nurturer God meant him to be. AS a result, he can see his relationship begin to blossom before his eyes and grow. |