What happens if our husband doesn’t feel our love, even when it’s really there? Are we showing him respect? One study shows that if women had to choose between love and respect, most would prefer to be loved. But 74% of men would prefer respect to love. Men need respect. God created this need in men, and so He instructs us wives, “The wife see that she reverence her husband.”
If a man doesn’t feel respected, he may not feel loved. If our husbands get upset when we say something, we need to ask ourselves if they are hearing respect in both our message and manner. Paul reminds us that love “thinketh no evil” (1 Cor. 13:5). If we always think the best of our husbands, it’s easier to show respect. Even if we don’t condone their actions, we must still show them respect because, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord” (Col. 3:1818Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18)). It is fit or suitable to show the Lord honor, and to show our husbands respect.
We may ask the Lord to show us new ways to show our husbands respect. We might jot him a note letting him know some of the reasons we respect him. It’s great to tell him we love him, but let’s also show him that we respect him. As we show our husbands respect, it’s amazing how the love we crave blossoms.