In post #198, Hidden wrote: " It is not easy nor natural for men to honor those in authority over them." Well, it may not be "easy" or even "natural" for women to honor those in authority over them, either!
That was my point. :)
That's kind of why I asked Hidden in the first place, about the Golden Rule. Would a husband want to 'submit' to his wife, in the same way, that he expects his wife to 'submit' to him?
Now this is an insightful question, and my answer would be Yes. In fact, that is what the New Testament teachings actually asked the believer to do when they say, "love your wives as yourselves," or "knowing you have a Master in Heaven, and that there is no respect of persons with God." They were trying to get the believer to think in terms of "what if the shoe is on the other foot. How would you be treating the other if the tables were turned?"
I sometimes think about what it would be like if my wife were the man and I were the woman. I think I'm the better leader, quite frankly, LoL, cuz as nice as she is she can be a real b-i-t-c-h to have to work for. Others know this as well. Very demanding. But I would be fine with the other role. I'd just have to make sure she understood not to overstep her boundaries.
See, and that's another thing ... well, it's something I've already said, RESPECT. I have absolutely no problems with a woman getting downright in a husband's face if he's really screwing up and being a pompous jerk. It's something I work over in my mind when it comes to interacting with other believers as well, because I will occasionally take someone's head clean off in public (i.e. humiliate and demean them to the fullest extent of my ability) if I think they are truly asking for it. Does Scripture say to turn the other cheek? Yes. Does it say for slaves to do good even to cruel masters? Yes. But what many don't notice in those two instances is that the one being mistreated has no rights, and is in no position to make any demands. It is NOT that way in a marriage, and the wife should very WELL expect things of her husband. I don't mean tell him what to do, but I mean hold him accountable for treating her fairly and respectfully.
And I'll go you one further, believers have every right to hold the Lord Jesus Christ accountable as well. I have on a few occasions, and He honors it and honors my faith. Why? Because He's not a Dictator, and wants to know how I truly feel about things. I'm not talking about getting anything I want AT ALL. That's a different matter. But I am talking about a believer having RIGHTS in a relationship, and holding Him to the expectation of treating me decently and with Love. Someone asked recently, "Would you change your faith?" I would change it in a heartbeat if I found either in scripture or by experience that my God was cruel. But I don't find that. He can be hard on me sometimes, but He ever only does so for my good. So we work it out.
But the same goes for a wife, and the same goes for a believer, and if anyone messes with me in a way that shows way too little respect they will get my business end, and I don't care how much it hurts them or humiliates them. That in fact is exactly what I am striving for and I will not stop until the point has been communicated, and with the utmost clarity. We are not doormats, and should never treat one another as such, and that goes for husbands and wives, laymen and pastors, believers and believers. The good thing with the Lord is you never have to go that far, whereas with believers and marital partners you sometimes do. I've absolutely lost my cool with the Lord a few times, but I won't get demeaning with Him. But I will get demanding with Him when I feel I am being mistreated. I'm not afraid to in the least, and neither should a wife be. The trick is getting to the place where one isn't offended with things, but so long as one is, my take is that they have every right and even a necessity to let the other person know about it or they are not being honest in the relationship.
