Cheryl

Paula, I like your analogy of the foundation vs the roof.

The world is prone to “lording it over others”.  If Jesus had proposed that this was the way to operate the church and Christian marriage, he did a poor job of teaching the “lordship” model.  Instead he made it clear that the world’s way which is  “lordship” based is not to be practiced among them.  Instead, Jesus said they are to be a servant and a slave to the body of Christ.

The term slave here means one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other.  If a husband were to serve his wife this way with his will altogether consumed in her will there would be no way that he would force his will on her.  A servant is not a tyrant and a servant is not someone who will domineer.   Today’s hierarchical leaders term “servant-leader” as defined as someone who takes over leadership of their spouse for the spouses good.  However taking over one’s wife against her will, does not qualify one as a servant nor a slave.  I believe that it is time that we get rid of these worldly terms and practice true godly servanthood.