Many like the prestige of leadership, without the responsibility. But as husbands we’re not merely the figure heads of our home, we’ve been charged with the responsibility of its care and governance. As such, being head of household also means we’re the ones ultimately responsible for it.
For instance, the president or CEO of a company is the one responsible for it. He’s the one charged with making things right when the company misses the mark. And this is true regardless of where in the chain-of-command the breakdown took place. It’s his job as the leader to ensure everyone under him knows their job and has the resources they need to complete it. And also to correct and train as needed when individuals are out of line. However difficult certain employees might be, he still cannot blame them for the state of the company he’s responsible for. The buck stops with him.
And this is similar to what plays out in our homes. To be sure, our headship is not a license to be a bully. This is not the example Christ has set as the head of his church. Yet as our head he covers our sins and we get to be declared righteous because of his sacrifices on our behalf. And it’s in this way we are to love our wives and lead our homes.
There’s a sense in which we take responsibility for their shortcomings and sins – not pridefully pointing out their guilt, but rather graciously leading them towards God’s best. Christ was sinless and yet took on our sins to make us right with God. And, as the head of our household, this means we cannot neglect our responsibility by blaming and hiding behind the sins of others. Even when we’re not individually at fault for a particular issue, we still bear the corporate responsibility for our home.
In the end, head of household means the buck stops with you. You cannot blame others for the state of your home when you’ve neglected your duty to guide each member towards God’s best.
Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash
