Husbands, 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. (1 Peter 3:7)
Do not get caught up in the gender roles that are described in this verse. While God’s definition of a family and His direction for leadership is clear throughout His Word, we can become distracted by disagreement and miss out on the underlying principle. Today’s principle is this: we are really leading when we are serving. Leadership is not telling other people what to do or controlling someone else; but as today’s verse states, it is about prioritizing the other person as more important than yourself.
Even if you don’t agree with a term like weaker partner, it’s not hard to imagine how much better the world would be if husbands valued their wives with consideration and respect and wives did the same for their husbands. When we can learn to think first of what do they need from me before what do I need from them, we take steps toward that better life Peter describes here.
In fact, Peter goes so far as to say that our willingness to lead by serving affects our spiritual life as well. Throughout the New Testament Gospel accounts of Jesus, Peter stated that how we consider others matters as much as how we consider God. Read Matthew 22:34 – 40 and examine how Jesus taught us to prioritize.
Today, ask God to give you an other’s first attitude at work, on the highway and especially at home. What is one next step you can take to serve your family and lead them closer to God and each other?
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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