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Browse through and read hundreds of articles on the topic of marriage
The idea of unconditional respect for the husband has always been the Love and Respect message’s unique feature, based on Ephesians 5:33. Many books stress Paul’s instruction for husbands to love their wives (“each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself . . .”), but few spend equal space if any at all, to the rest of the verse (“. . . and the wife must respect her husband”).
Many wives share disappointment that their husbands rarely talk to them at a deeper level. “Emerson, when we were dating, we used to talk long into the night getting to really know each other. What happened to him?”
In the beginning, after God had created Adam and placed him in the garden to cultivate it, He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).
In the Bible, we find two realities to which we are to respond: God’s commands and God’s promises. God calls us to obey His commands and trust His promises. Most of us have sung the song "Trust and Obey,” which captures these two quintessential truths.
There are certain phrases we have been programmed to understand in a specific way whenever we hear them. For example, if someone says to us, “We need to talk,” we know there is bad news to come and we get in defensive mode.
Permit me to ask you a question. As a husband, in your deepest heart do you want to come across in an unloving manner toward your wife during conflict? 1. I do not want to be unloving when I disagree with my wife. 2. I want to be unloving when I disagree with my wife. As a wife, in your deepest heart do you want to come across in a disrespectful manner toward your husband during conflict?
Q: After 19 years of living on the crazy cycle and after months of counseling, I have no hope due to my husband’s narcissism. I talked and talked until I don't want to hear myself. He says I have driven him away and his "friendships" … his criticisms of me have left me wounded and hurt and nagging to just stay together when I know it’s God’s plan for this to not just exist but to thrive as an example to our children of His love. He is ready to file for a divorce because he says he has tried everything and he just despises seeing or hearing my voice...he has shut down. He said he is ready to have a woman to have fun with and to not fight with.Emerson says:
Meet Tony and Ginger. Be encouraged as they share how their broken marriage was restored. As Tony states, “Love and Respect is good, practical, down-to-earth advice.” Listen as they share how these principles helped them see each other in a new way and how they made a conscious choice to do things differently.
“Emerson, in a conflict with my husband he inevitably withdraws from me. He puts up a barrier to prevent me from emotionally connecting. He stops talking. What should I do?” I hear you. When married to someone who stonewalls, “withdrawals” are not worth it!Research reveals in intimate, committed relationships 85% of those who emotionally retreat and refuse to answer are men.
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