Wifey part 2
I'm gonna get into this aspect of the husband/wife dynamic and (hopefully) get it out the way. 1 Timothy 2:12, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." The man, or the husband, as head of the household. King of the castle. But let's be real. To have a successful marriage--or relationship of any kind--it has to be a partnership. And I'm not talking 50-50 either, it takes everything you've got. Because, like I mentioned yesterday, relationships are hard work. But they shouldn't be a battle. Its not fifty-fifty. Its 100-100. Because that's what love is: giving everything you are and everything you have. So let's get past the idea of anybody usurping any authority and let's understand that we are in this together. And as far as not suffering a woman to teach... some of my favorite teachers and preachers are women. I don't necessarily think that's what the Bible is talking about. I think its more the idea of spirit and soul. If we look at the man as representing the spirit, and the woman representing the soul, then we can get on board with not letting the soul "teach." The soul is, well, soulful. Selfish. That beast nature that we're so fond of, especially when we want an excuse for doing something we shouldn't be doing. "I'm only human." "Its my nature, I can't help it." Well, the truth of the matter is... our nature is the new (true) nature of God. The love nature. And that's what the Spirit--the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth--teaches us. The Spirit teaches us how to love by teaching us how we are loved. We love because God first loved us. It is His love in us coming out of us. Filling ourselves to overflowing (with what we've already been filled with) is what allows us to be who we are. Who we really are. Which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. I keep saying it: Its the difference between being self-centered and Christ-centered (people-centered). The soul is concerned only with herself. The Spirit is concerned with others. Love is giving. Giving what you've got to the people you come into contact with. That's what life is--to live is to love and to love is to live. That's what relationships are all about--not getting something from someone, but giving yourself to someone. Not usurping authority, but sharing authority. Being on the same page, even when you have to compromise. Having a united front. Sharing EVERYTHING. The good, the bad, and the ugly. That's all I ever wanted out of a marriage. Someone to share my life with. And lucky for me, that's what I found. That's what I have. But when we get it twisted and think "I'm up here and she's down there," that's when things get out of whack. Its so important to get past the idea of what women can and can't do. Or what men can and can't do. Just figure out what works for you. In your dynamic. Let me end with a memory verse to (probably) set up tomorrow's Rant: "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband" (1 Corinthians 7:3). Partnership. Togetherness. Do unto each other. Relationship. Love!