It's been overemphasized how husbands are called by God to be the leaders of the household. In fact, it's been said so many times that husbands are starting to get cocky and wives are getting sick of it.

Allow me to add to that long list, but don't worry, I'm not cutting the husbands any slack today. In fact, we need to make one thing clear today that will hopefully challenge men to step up and do more.

Ephesians 5:23 says, "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." It is very clear in scripture that husbands are called to be the leaders of the home and of their wives.

But one thing that many husbands fail to realize is that the Bible also makes clear how men are to lead their households. Scripture also tells us that men are to lead "as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior."

We all know what Christ did for the church. It was Christ who did the hard work of laying down the foundation, building and even sanctifying the church through His own death. In the same way, husbands are to lead their wives the same way Jesus did -- by serving and sacrificing.

Doesn't sound all too comfortable, does it? That's because God never meant for leadership to be perk-filled and easy. God calls men to lead their wives by serving them.

Husbands do not rule over their wives. In case we have forgotten, there is only one person who can rule over families, and that's God Himself. Leading and ruling are not one thing. The leadership God calls husbands into is in the context of service and love, pointing our family always to the one true Ruler of the home.

So where are we supposed to get the energy to love and serve our wives and families? John 13:34 tells us, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

The first step husbands must take to be effective in the way they lead their families is to experience the love, grace and power of God, and then let it trickle down to their families.

Leadership has always been described by God in the context of serving others, and we serve best when we realize how much Jesus -- as our leader -- has served and loved us so that we can lead our families with love and grace as well.