What women should know about husbands – or men in general! part 1

Last night I had the privilege of teaching the first of six classes to the Seminary wives, basically on people helping, and it was so exciting, like being back where I belong, doing what God made me to do…maybe it is that older woman teaching the younger woman thing.

Anyway, it struck me that this might be another good place to share some of what I have learned.  Some will be directly from the Bible, and some of it will be practical wisdom. 

Did you know that Paul (a man so he should know) admonishes  women to reverence or respect their husbands?  That Greek word phobeo has the sense of to fear or scare away and/or to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience or respect.  Now, considering the whole counsel of God – women are to love their husbands and help them, does it make sense that she is to be afraid of him?  That doesn’t make sense to me – but the idea of respecting him, giving him honor does.

Here is a great website to check out on the topic: http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4218341/k.EC57/The_Proper_Care_and_Feeding_of_Husbands.htm

Meanwhile, back to the topic of respecting our husbands.  Shaunti Feldhahn  puts it this way in her book For Women Only: Three out of four men would rather feel unloved rather than disrespected or inadequate. (22)  If he feels disrespected, he feels unloved.  If you want him to know you love him, then you must be sure he feels your respect.  Often, we don't realize that our actions convey the opposite! (23)

So the question of the day is this: what do you do to show that you respect your husband, or other godly men in your life?  Do you encourage and build them up?  Do you find them doing something good, and commend them for it?  Do you use your words, your actions as a tool for good for him? Or to draw attention and praise for yourself…or worse yet, to show him how he has failed you?

I wonder what simply respecting our husbands might do to the current divorce rate….and singles, consider what God might want you to do with this information.  Certainly you can own it and allow it to inform your relationships, but you can also pass it on – to those in your lives who could benefit from it.

 

image from http://www.e-spark.co/2012/09/respect-all-we-crave-for/