It's Not Complicated...

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a new opportunity prepares to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! We might be in trouble this morning...I woke up earlier than normal this morning, ready to roll! :)

This morning I want to talk about a couple of things. The first thing I want to do is share something I read on Facebook a few days ago that spoke deeply to my heart. I want to share it in it's entirety first, and then share some thoughts about different parts of it. As always, please don't let my reflections get in the way of what your heart, your spirit, has to say to you! :)

This was on the Pursuit of Marriage Facebook page:

"Husbands: Being the head of the household means work, duty and great responsibility. As head of the household you are responsible for everything that happens in the family. You cannot enjoy the privileges of headship and not be willing to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it. You can't franchise, subcontract or outsource your husband responsibilities and not hurt your wife and marriage. You are accountable to God for the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of your family. Make your wife's life easier by carrying all your responsibilities dutifully. Your wife was not created to play her role and yours at the same time. You wife should not live like a widow while you are still alive. You are the Spiritual Covering, Provider and Protector of the family. Therefore be involved. Be present. Take charge. Work hard. Pray, plan and execute. Let your wife thank God that she is married to you. #Genesis2:15 #manup #servantleader #joenkerry"

So convicting! So inspiring! Lord, please help me be all you created me to be! :)

O.K., now I want to share some thoughts...

"Husbands: Being the head of the household means work, duty and great responsibility."
- Here are a couple of definitions from dictionary.com:
Duty = Something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
Responsibility = The state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.
The Bible is perfectly clear; the husband is to be the head of the household...not in the way our society would like to define "head" but as God does. This means work, duty and responsibility.

"As head of the household you are responsible for everything that happens in the family."
- Everything... Going back to Adam, men have been trying to blame their failures on someone else. The bottom line men, is we are responsible for everything that happens within our families. Let's stop blaming our wives, children, society, etc. Let's man up and honor what God has called us to be!

"You cannot enjoy the privileges of headship and not be willing to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it."
- This, right here, is - I believe - the root of so many of our problems. I am fairly certain this is why so many bristle at the idea of "the husband is the head of the household." You see, we are great with accepting the privileges with being the head of the household - whatever you might believe they are - however we are not fulfilling the work, duty and responsibility portions of what this means. It is not supposed to be privileges first and then everything else if I have time. It is supposed to be work, duty and responsibility and then, and only then, will we be able to enjoy - not take advantage of! - the fruits of our labors!

"You can't franchise, subcontract or outsource your husband responsibilities and not hurt your wife and marriage."
- As a husband, you cannot be replaced. Yes, the marriage can possibly survive with you franchising, subcontracting or outsourcing your responsibilities however your wife and marriage will not thrive and become all they were created to become if you do these things. Regardless of what society would like to tell us today, you are critically important.

"You are accountable to God for the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of your family."
- Be sure of this husbands; one day you and I will stand before God and give account for how we led our households. There will be no excuses then. Just you/I and God...being held accountable for what we did or did not do.

"Make your wife's life easier by carrying your responsibilities dutifully."
- Did you know that we have real-life super heroes walking the face of the earth today? We really do. They are the women, wives and mothers who are doing the work of the man and woman because men turned into little boys and ran or continually fail to be what they were called to be. This was not the way God designed it to be and, as with anything that is used for a purpose for which it is not designed, it doesn't work like it is supposed to work. Man up!

"Your wife should not live like a widow while you are still alive."
- This one hurts the heart. There are far to many women living life as though they are widows because men fail. This is not right, it is not fair, and it must change! 

"Therefore be involved."
- Get in the game! You don't have to have all the answers...none of us do! Be a part of the family! Get involved! 

"Be present."
- There are a whole lot of families with the man there physically however his emotional and spiritual presence is nowhere to be found. Let's get our priorities in order! Put down the phone/IPad. Turn off the game. Listen, not to the voices but also the hearts, of your wife and children. Be fully present...it is the greatest gift you can give them!

"Take charge."
- Not over-bearing, but rather be willing to take responsibility, to be accountable. You are setting the direction for your family through the life you live. Is your family heading in the direction you want them to go?

"Work hard."
- Simple question; are you working as hard at loving, honoring, and protecting your wife as you are at your job? Spoiler alert; one has eternal consequences and one doesn't...you know the answer!

"Pray, plan and execute."
- I love this! Pray first, then develop a plan and then execute the plan...in that order! 

I also want to share another thought/idea/concept with you that is not super complicated however our follow through is suspect, at best. I am not sure whether I read or heard this little reminder however it has popped into my head several times over the past week or so. This profound, earth-shattering thought? Love...

You know, the Bible doesn't tell us to love those who look like us, act like us or talk like us. It doesn't tell us to love people who believe what we believe. It doesn't tell us to love people who have the same political views as us. It doesn't tell us to love people who are nice to us. It doesn't tell us to love people who have it all figured out. It doesn't tell us to love people who are in the "in crowd." No, all these parameters that are placed around whom we will love and when we love them are developed by us, the fallen, broken one's.

The Bible tells us to love people. Period. Nothing else needed. Just love people. The hurting, the lost, the broken, the nice, the rude, the kind, the failures, the successes, the... You get the point! We don't get to choose who to love...we are called to love everyone! What would this world look like if we really did that? Loved? This is my challenge for all of us today...to simply love people where they are at, today! :)

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev