>>>>First, my wife is not my wife to fulfill my desires/wishes. Among other things, she is there as a helper for me as I pursue sanctification. She is there to be a helper to me as we raise our children. She is also there to be a helper to me in pointing out areas that I need attention/correction. She's not my "jeannie in a bottle." She's not my slave. She's my wife - my lifelong partner as we together pursue lives that bring glory to God.
>>>
>>>Are you her "helper" as well?
>>
>>Sure - it takes both of us to raise our family.
>>
>>My responsibility to lead our family spiritually. To be sure we're attending a good church - that we are having times of family worship - that I am teaching my family in the daily trials that we face. That's primarily where her submission comes into play. It is not her role to lead us spiritually - that is the husband's role. Now, she does teach the children from the Bible and she does pray with them - but under my leadership. If something is found to be lacking in our family's spiritual health, I am the one who accepts and is given the blame.
>
>Is your wife unable to do those things? Or just not permitted?

She is definately able - maybe even more so than I am - it's just not her role and she accepts that. Some wives have taken the leadership role because their husbands have failed to do so. In those cases, the wife is supposed to follow the Matthew 18 principle and take steps to point out that sin to her husband. She is really not supposed to take over. If a husband is leading and the wife is not submitting (let's say she refuses to attend church or sit under her husband's teaching during family worship,) the husband then would need to follow the Matthew 18 principle and deal with that accordingly.