Running The Race With A Broken Foot

I arrived home late Thursday night from a 5 day trip to New York. It was the first time I have ever flown out of state for training that related to my work. It was quite the experience to be sure. I am incredibly grateful to be home with my family and surprised to find the temperatures warm and all the snow in our yard gone. I sat out on a folding chair on my driveway yesterday enjoying the sound of my children play and the rays of sun upon my face.

I had a little time to ponder the roles of fathers and mothers while I was away. The Holman Bible Dictionary defines their roles in this way:

• “Mothers gave birth and reared the children, ran the home under her husband’s authority, and generally served as her husband’s helper (Gen. 2:18; Prov. 31:10–31).”

• “Wives are called to be household administrators. As household managers wives are responsible to give the family guidance and direction. Paul states that performing these tasks will inhibit gossiping and other unprofitable activities (1 Tim. 5:14). Thus any decision made within the family without the counsel and guidance of the wife is unwise.”

• “Along with paternal authority over the family came the responsibility of fathers to provide for and protect the family. The father was responsible for the religious and moral training of his children (Deut. 6:7,20–25), and before the law he acted as the family priest (Gen. 12:7–8). After establishment of the Levitical priesthood, the father led the family in worship at the sites designated by God with the priests performing the sacrifices (1 Sam. 1).”

I am not a perfect husband and far from being a perfect father. One thing that became evident to me over this brief study was my failure to seek the counsel and guidance of my wife before I make decisions. After I asked my beloved to forgive me for this failure, she pointed out that her and I used to make all decisions together. It has only been within the past year or so that I have been doing things more on my own. I was not aware at the time that I had changed. I think I fell into the trap of believing that it was my role as the leader of my home to just lead and make decisions. I see now that I was being unwise as the Holman Dictionary points out.

I am sharing this failure of mine so that you may not fall into the same trap I did. God has made the husband and wife to be one unit. I would never seek to run a race without getting counsel from both of my feet. One may be in perfect shape while the other is broken. It would do no good to run unless both agree. It is the same with running the race of faith with my wife.

Thanks for listening. It’s good to be back.

Scott