Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.... Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it;" Ephesians 5:22,25
We have been watching D.V.D.'s on marriage with another family down here in Mexico. They are by a man named Emerson Eggerichs who does a wonderful job of communicating godly principles for marriage. I have read a lot of books on how a woman ought to honor her husband but this series has been really helpful for understanding how harmful to men our contemptuous attitudes can be, as well as how we can communicate respect to them.
I really appreciated hearing from a man's perspective what our communication means to them. For instance, most women get close by talking together, when we go out with our husbands, naturally what we feel will draw us closer is to talk. This might mean discussing issues with children, or ways we can have a better marriage. Strangely enough this type of talk did not seem to inspire closeness in my husband. As Emmerson explained it, when men want to feel close they often do things together, without much conversation. Things like hunting and fishing, or watching a game or simply going to the hardware store together. As women we can try to understand that our husbands are different from us, and show respect for those differences by trying to meet their needs.
As it says in Malachi 2:14-16, God hates treachery in marriage because he desires a godly offspring (paraphrased). We honor God when we work hard at our marriages, and having a happy, God honoring marriage is one of the best ways to give our children a heart for the Lord and His ways.
Jennifer Pepito-Chapel Editoral
