As the head of his wife, the husband will go first. He will start in the morning, by getting up before his wife. I discovered this early in my marriage, the hard way. For several months, I had lain in bed while my wife got up to go to work. How sweet it was, to hear her bustle around and then go out the door, while I snuggled farther down under the covers! Only later did I realize that she was not happy with my laziness. While I blissfully enjoyed my rest, disrespect was brewing in her mind, though she was not fully aware of that to being with. At some point, I became ashamed of myself, and decided to rise a bit earlier than she did, help her prepare breakfast, and see her out the door. Since then, I have habitually started my day before she does, with many benefits. If you get up first, you can have your own quiet time with God, listening to his voice, offering up praise, thanksgiving, and prayer, and casting all your cares upon him. The man who starts his day with God while his wife lies in bed reaps many advantages. He can think about what faces them, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Settled in his own mind and heart, he approaches life with confidence and peace. During this early hour, he can plan ahead for his family. That will enable him to anticipate his wife’s concerns and listen to her with patience, as well as to propose ideas for her to consider. Jesus rose up while it was still early in order to pray to his Father. When his disciples came to him with their agenda, he already knew the will of God (Mark 1:35-38). Just as the head wakes up before the body gets out of bed, so a wise husband precedes his wife into the challenges of each new dawn. He gains a great deal of respect at the cost of a little sleep.