Steady at the helm

Joh 13:4-10  (4)  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  (5)  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.  (6)  Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?  (7)  Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.  (8)  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.  (9)  Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.  (10)  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

Jesus knew exactly what ought to be done: washing his disciples feet.  Peter rushed in and said "absolutely not" because he had false presuppositions: that the master should not serve the student.  Jesus corrected his misapprehension, and Peter swung the other way asking to be washed more than necessary, but Jesus again corrected his understanding.

The problem in transferring this thought to husbanding is that I don't see as clearly as Christ does.  Often, in fact my wife sees more clearly than I do.  But I have been given responsibility, so I need to work very hard to understand the Lord's will for me and my family, and then be "steady at the helm" when what God has called me to do runs counter to what the culture around us has told both my wife and I to think and expect.  When the waters get rough, I need to be steadily looking to the Lord for truth, so I can in turn love my wife by continuing to lovingly proclaim the truth to her.