Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me." So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please." And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.
Who's in Charge?
A writer for the Chicago Tribune observed, "Americans crave leadership, but what is it?" According to an expert he quoted, a leader has "a moral compass, a set of core beliefs, a firmness that is not authoritarian, strong powers of persuasion in articulating a vision, and a self-effacing manner." Those qualities are not only scarce in the workplace, they're often lacking in the home as well.
In many respects, Abraham was a great leader, but apparently he wasn't strong enough to do what was right in his own household. At a time when Sarah needed a strong hand to guide her through a fit of jealousy, Abraham failed. He abdicated his role as the leader of his home and a grave injustice was committed as a result.
Our society needs strong leaders everywhere, but nowhere more than in the home. God established an order for the family that made it normative for the man to be the leader when present. The apostle Paul says, "For the husband is head of the wife . . . . Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Eph. 5:23-24; cf. 1 Cor. 11:3).
God's design for the family is not popular in today's culture, but it's still God's design. Men, take seriously your role as the head of the home. Know the core values God wants for your family and see that they are established. Wives, let your husband be the leader. Support him in his leadership and respect his authority. When we do what is right in the home, the nation will follow.
Leadership in the home is an issue of obedience, not equality.