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Browse through and read hundreds of articles on the topic of marriage
A husband has a need to be respected by his wife. That is what Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:33. As well, a wife has a need to be honored (respected) by her husband.
The love and respect connection is real—make no mistake. When I was reading Ephesians 5 one day in 1998, after having studied and taught from this chapter many times in my twenty years of preaching, God revealed this connection to me and it blew me away.
People who think culturally, not biblically oftentimes stumble over the idea of unconditional respect.
"My wife and I have been really struggling with our communication and our relationship; feels like we are two ships sailing in the night, which concerns me. I know I am responsible for what comes out of my mouth, which reveals what is in my heart. I have been trying to take responsibility for that and ask for forgiveness."
“Emerson, my husband is not as open and emotionally available as he should be. As a result, I don’t feel as close to him as I would like, and I even wonder if he trusts me.”
A person claims their spouse is selfish and stubborn, refusing to deal with their disagreement by finding a win-win solution. But is the spouse selfish? Or, could the spouse have goodwill but is more fearful than stubborn?
To many husbands and wives, solving every single marital problem that arises means two completely different things concerning the quality of their marriage. Much of this stems from the different ways they each prefer to handle conflict.
I believe a husband is to act lovingly whether or not he feels it. God’s command in Ephesians 5:33 for a husband to love his wife is to be followed as an act of obedience, not as a conditional response toward her respect for him.
No reasonable parent would defend a selfish child who is refusing to share any of his toys with his siblings. Similarly, few are the people who would not be bothered by a selfish business owner who was not wanting to share any of the company’s abundant profits with the hardworking employees who made it all possible. In almost any situation, selfishness is not something people will stand for.
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