You see recently I met some folks who believe that a man has a right to discipline his wife for her lack of submisison, areas of sin etc. The resoning they shared with me was just as a police officer can implemnt consequences for our breaking the law a husband ought to be able to implement consequences for his wife and children stepping out of line.
I was a bit disturbed to learn how these wives were being treated,(spanked, grounded, put in the corner, basically punnished in simialr and yet harsher ways then one would correct ones children) and yet I was even more concerned and confused that the wife really welcomed it.
Yet in some strange way some of it made sense (the right to enfource ones authority) and so for weeks I have been wrestling this out. Can a husband enforce his authority in the home and if so how?
I agree that a woman is to submit to her husband and Im even open to my husband, or other spiritual authorities calling me on wrong attitudes or actions. Sometimes I get in a funk and quit carrying how my actions, words, attidudes effect those around me. A firm rebuke goes along way. Please note Im not commending the way that man belittled his wife. We are to build one another up with our words. I have had brothers in the lord lovingly yet firmly point out an area of sin in my life and I walked away motivated to do better. I long for that sort of accountability in my life.....and yet I would be very uncomfortable if any authority tried to force me to submit. or if in an attempt to point out a wrong in my life they did so in such away as to be mean with their words or if they tried to manipulate my compliance through punishment or abuse That does not quite seem like love. Grant it Jesus took a whip to those selling in the temple...but more often then not He extended Grace, mercy and forgivness.
I love what was said about the difference between Dominance and Submission. Your words really helped me to clear up my own confusion on the matter and help me too know how to give an answer to my "friends" who believe it is ok to physically correct their spouse as punishment. So again thankyou!!!!
''Submission is a choice--dominance is not.
When a man makes all the decisions, that is dominance. When a wife and husband can't come to agreement on a subject and the wife defers to the man for the sake of harmony in the home, that is submission.
In dominance, the man says, "I am the head of the household and the decision is mine."
In submission, the wife says, "I don't agree with you, but you are the head of this household so the decision is yours."
Dominance is self-centered. Submission is love and peace-centered.''