What do Women Really Want?

As I was driving home after wrapping up our message Sunday on the "Biblical Blueprint for Wives" from Ephesians 5, I was wondering what the ladies were thinking (with or without husbands)on their trip home as they considered God's call on their lives to submit, or lovingly come under the leadership or God-ordained authority of their husbands.

Then, I got to thinking about the question 'what women really want' and I was reminded of the weekend struggles my wife Mary and I have on dining out decisions. I try to love her and give her the option to choose where we take the kids to eat Friday night or after church, and she proceeds to hem and haw and then throws this huge responsibility back in my lap and the verbal match like ping-pong goes on and on until I finally take hold of the issue and make the call on where we go. And then it dawned on me....despite what Eve pulled on Adam in Genesis 3, what many women want- particularly God-fearing Christian wives, is that their husbands make the decision. I've even heard feminists agree on this. Most women have an innate desire to be led by, protected and provided for by the stronger vessel.

Courtney Ressig from the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood wrote that women should be encouraging the men in their lives to take on this biblical mantle of leadership in the home. Since I can confirm that a man desires respect and admiration even more than sex, a Christian wife has a unique opportunity to exhort their husbands to be the leader that God has called them to be in their family. Not only should our ladies strive to encourage their husbands to be the leader God wants, but they must prayerfully be patient with those who struggle to do so. Ladies , 1 Peter 3:1 tells us as we mentioned Sunday that we can be "without a word, won by the conduct of our wives." That idea excludes the notion of "nagging" which is desirious to some women and is akin to sharing a needle with Keith Richards for the men.

Encouragement is the key sisters. When your husband loves you and leads a devotion for your family in the home- thank him. In fact feel free to suggest that he do just that and how wonderful that would be - as a couple or for the family with children if he's not doing so already. Further, it won't hurt to let him know periodically that you thank God for him and for trying to be the man that he can be. That said women, understand that your hubbies will dissapoint you. They are to imitate Christ but are not. Your husband is to love you as Christ loves the church (the subject of our next message at C.C.C.) - but too often will not. Have real expectations and remember that his sanctification like yours is a process. So eat lots of Bible, pray often, be filled with the Spirit and lovingly and submissively encourage him and hope in Christ and ask that He would lead your fallen-man to be the leader you and God want him to be.