Are men called to watch the children and clean the house too?

Alice was seething with fury as she tried to soothe her sleeping toddler with one hand while stirring a saucepan with the other. “I can't believe Mike isn't offering to take Jason to bed. Why does he have to wait for me to ask him? she huffed and huffed. Mike, her husband, was lying on the couch watching a football game. Alice worked part-time in an insurance company and was always home before her husband, who had a full-time job.

As such, she did all the household chores. Unless she asked him to, Mike wouldn't touch any housework with a ten foot pole. Later that night, battered to the skin, she collapsed at the dining table, barely able to swallow her dinner. "Why this bad mood?" Mike asked. At the time, she wasn't sure what pissed her off more - the fact that he didn't take on any household chores or that he couldn't understand why she was upset.

Unfortunately, our society is still somewhat stereotypical when it comes to domestic work. Several studies show that women spend more time on household chores than their male counterparts. This is regardless of whether women work at home or outside the home. A study published in The Atlantic found that women did more than double the amount of household chores men did.

True, the same study noted that men's involvement in household chores and child care has nearly doubled in recent decades in the United States. It is something worth celebrating. But the question remains: are men called upon to watch the children and clean the house too? Here's why the answer is a resounding YES!

1. It enriches a marriage

Surprising your wife with flowers is a nice gesture. But. It won't mean anything to her if she gives in under the weight of chores while you're lying on the couch, glued to your phone. Women have deep emotional needs and chief among them is their need for affection. Showing affection to your wife is simply letting her know that you care about her through physical gestures.

When a woman receives a good dose of affection from her husband, she feels loved, protected, comforted and secure in her marriage. Any doubts that might have been gnawing at her vanish into thin air. Watching (your) children and cleaning (your) house tells your wife that you care about her and won't allow her to break her down while you sit and watch. On the other hand, letting her take care of all the household chores and taking care of the children will only make her bitter and breed resentment. Fancy a hot wedding? Consider taking on your share of the chores and watch your marital ducks line up next.

2. We are called to serve one another

"And whoever wants to be first among you, let him be your slave, as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many ." (Matthew 20:27-28, NKJV)

God asks us to put the needs of others above our own (Philippians 2:3-4). Jesus said he did not come to be served but to serve. His statement is simply breathtaking. The Son of God (who was equal to God) chose the nature of a servant. In the same breath, He asked those who wanted to be the first to become slaves. Here's the thing - a lot of men beat their chests as they seek to stamp their authority in their homes. They want to be recognized as the heads of their families. Christ, however, presents us with a different way to achieve greatness - to serve others.

In John 13, we see Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, much to the dismay of Simon Peter. He then instructs the disciples to maintain the same practice (John 13:14). Perhaps, as a husband, you often feel that certain tasks are too humiliating for you. You wouldn't be caught doing the dishes or changing a diaper. Guess what? If Jesus could clean the dirt off the feet of his disciples, you can also clean this bathroom. Remember that no servant is greater than his master (John 13:16).

3. Husbands are called to love their wives sacrificially

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her." (Ephesians 5:25, NKJV)

Jesus loved the church so deeply that he offered his life as the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross. In doing so, he left a blueprint for husbands on how they should love their wives – sacrificially. I love your wife...