The Head Of the Household
NOT long ago, I mentioned to a friend that there was some disagreement within my family as to an important step one family member would soon take. I was feeling that it was my responsibility to make everything come out right. But my friend said: "Don't be concerned. We all should recognize Christ as the head of every household. That simple idea rang true and relieved my anxiety. Soon the disagreement within our household totally disappeared.
When my friend referred to "Christ, he didn't mean that the man Jesus would be present to head every household. The Christ is that active presence and power of God with man that Jesus so clearly (and so uniquely) showed us.
Sometimes it seems as though we're trapped in a collection of personalities--some strong-willed, some weak, some dominating, others subservient. But this is far from what Christ Jesus teaches us of man. Jesus presented the idea of man made in God's image. Since God is divine Spirit, the man that He creates is spiritual in nature. In the most real way possible, then, man in God's image has nobility and dignity that are always victorious and never subdued. And man is always loving and obedient to his creat or.
Jesus' entire life was spent showing this man--our true spiritual identity--to us. When he healed sickness, for example, he freed man from apparent weakness and subservience to biology and disease, and illustrated the spiritual stature that is natural to man made in God's image. As convincing as all this is, Jesus' own example is the most winning. John's Gospel tells us how he humbly washed his disciples' feet just before his arrest and trial. "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye a lso ought to wash one another's feet, he said to them.
Meekness is probably the best word we could use to describe Christ Jesus. Because it is strong and purposeful, even as it is loving and free of willfulness, meekness can be thought of as a spiritual engine that powers everything that's worthy in human relationships. Perhaps an illustration of how such Christly meekness operates in our own daily lives would help. This is an actual experience of a family I know--one that perhaps many families will recognize.
A decision needed to be made about one of the children in the family, but the parents disagreed as to the best action to take. The wife, however, went ahead with her plans as if there were no disagreement. It's not surprising that at first the husband felt angry, not meek. But before he said anything to his wife, he prayed about the decision. He prayed to see more of the Christ-spirit that was at work in the thought of each parent. He knew that spirit of meekness--and nothing less--would guide the lives of each of God's children, including his wife and him. This Christ-spirit doesn't inspire mistakes.
A surprising thing happened next. The husband realized that his wife had been correct! And that same day his wife apologized for pushing ahead when he had not agreed.
In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, points out, "Meekness and charity have divine authority.
The love, the meekness and charity, the unmatched grace of the life lived by Christ Jesus, are timeless, universal qualities. As these Christly qualities take their rightful place at the head of our household (even if it's a household of one), everything will go much better at home.
