God’s Way
Good Morning,
Bobbed Hair Bossy Wives and Women Preachers was published in 1941 by Dr. John R Rice. This six-chapter booklet never made it to the New York Times best seller list (obviously).
Nobody likes to talk about subjects like those, and most people would certainly have a label for anyone who did speak about such things. I would like to take a moment to dedicate a few thoughts to the culture in which we live today.
Inspired by Dr. Rice and his unique work, I put together a small pamphlet called Verses Preachers Avoid. It is a compilation of politically-incorrect thoughts from the Scriptures. I find it amazing how many Christians love to talk about Heaven, love, and the love of God; yet the same Book that teaches those things also teaches of righteousness, holiness, the judgment of God, and an endless string of politically-incorrect principles – all from the same Book!
I would like to direct this brief lesson to our ladies, or perhaps, to the husband and wife, who are raising girls. I have commented on this truth before, but allow me to ask rhetorical questions.
Who chose the furniture in your house?
Who chose the meal for Thanksgiving?
Who makes the decision when it’s time to buy gifts for family members?
When it comes to the yard, who chooses the flowers and other plants?
Who makes the decisions about the children’s dress?
Who plans the menu for the family?
Who, in most cases, chooses what church the family attends?
How are we doing so far? A few very strong dominant men exist who might claim half of these as their responsibility, but I am willing to guess that five out of the seven would answer "the wife."
We are faced with the Bible.
Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”
vs. 24 “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”
Many reasons exist for this; one reason is a man wants more than anything else to have a happy wife. For we all know, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” To be honest, most men do not have strong feelings and opinions on many of these kinds of things.
Another problem is that men defer to their wife’s preferences so often that they train their wife to be the decision maker. When we walk into a restaurant, the hostess asks if we want a table or a booth. A man wants to eat, so he does not care where they sit, so he asks his wife. The wife almost always has an opinion. This goes on and on from early marriage to old age, and along the way, the man gets “bossed” by the lady he trained to make all the decisions.
Each wife needs to train or retrain her husband to be the decision maker. At work, they make the choices. On their own, they choose parking places, tables to eat, or which route to drive. If ladies hope to gain a biblical marriage, they will need to refuse to make the decisions and transfer that responsibility back to the husband.
Some may ask, “What difference does it make?” The main reason is not the wisdom of the man or the weak indecisiveness of the woman. These would not be consistent or accurate in every case. The primary issue is to please God. We ought to do things the way God asks us to do them.
I suggest dividing up duties so that both can deal with areas they are more knowledgeable in. Or areas more closely associated with their daily routine. When we shop, I push the cart and pay. I picked out my truck and my wife picked out her car. (I paid for both.) With children, and a hundreds areas, shared responsibilities are only logical. But sadly, it is far too one sided and UNBIBLICAL.
It is said of Abraham, that he was the friend of God:
Genesis 18:19 “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”
It is said of Abraham, that he was the friend of God:
Genesis 18:19 “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”
Abraham received special blessings because he "commanded" his household. The simple truth of the matter is blessings await those who honor God and do things His way.
Pastor