I spoke to a ladies’ group recently on the topic of “Following with Strength.” In a chat with the meeting planner beforehand she said, “Many of our ladies would be happy to follow, but their husbands refuse to lead. Be sure to comment on that.”
In both ballroom dance and Christian marriage, the man is given the task of leading. Those are about the only two places in our society where men are still asked to lead. My nephew graduated from high school in 1990. I clearly remember a school board member calling on the male graduates to, “step aside and let the women lead.” The community was outraged. But in the intervening years, that is exactly what has happened. How many TV ads can you name (sporting event ads aside) in which the man doesn’t have to get the information from his wife? How many current family sitcoms don’t portray Dad as a doofus? Even comic strips (Sally Forth, Sherman’s Lagoon) portray Dad as either an overgrown adolescent or a buffoon.
The role models have changed. Before they can lead, our men need to see themselves as God intends them to be and not buy into the media portrayal.