“My husband is just not the leader type.  It takes him forever to make a decision.  If he won’t lead then I guess I have to.”

“I know my husband can lead because he’s great at it at work.  But at home he just lets me do it all.”

“I wouldn’t mind letting my husband lead our family…as long as he does it the way I would.”

Have you ever found yourself making comments like those?  If so, it’s very likely that you are a strong-willed wife.  There are some amazingly wonderful things about being blessed with a strong-willed personality.  And as long as those traits are controlled by the Holy Spirit we strong-willed wives can bring changes to the world around us and do amazing things for the kingdom of heaven.  But those same traits can cause some serious difficulties as we are trying to have a marriage that follows God’s ordained authority structure in our marriages.  As strong-willed women, we struggle to let go of control and really allow our husbands to take their God given role in our homes.  But it is something that we really have to learn to do if we want a marriage that God continues to bless.

Strong willed women think fast, move fast and make decisions fast, and expect others to do the same.  But when our husbands don’t meet these expectations we tend to step in and do it for them.  What if your husband would be willing to make more decisions but you don’t allow him the time he needs to do so?  And what if the decision he makes isn’t the same one you would have made?  Would you still let his decision stand?  Many husbands may be more cautious and slow in their decision making but that doesn’t mean they won’t or can’t lead.  A husband who has never taken the lead may need to take on this responsibility in stages, just as you will likely need to release your responsibility and control in stages.  

So if you are ready to start letting your strong willed personality work in your favor and really start using your personality to honor God and your husband, here’s some things to help get you started as you learn to let go of control and let your husband lead:

1.      Talk openly with your husband about what you plan to work on:    This will help your husband know where to join you in prayer about the changes you are going to be making.  It will also help him be aware of the areas you are working on and be available to give praise and encouragement along the way.  And finally, open communication is necessary so the two of you together can identify what areas you are going to start handing the reigns over to him in first.  If you don’t discuss this and you just decide to release the reigns without him knowing it’s his turn to pick them up and lead, then the whole family could go running out of control with no one in the leadership role.