Devotion:

“However, each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect the husband” (Ephesians 5:33)

Part 2: What a Husband needs. 

Men are as different from women as anything can be. That’s not a surprise to Jesus because he has made us to have more in common with each other than our differences are. As husbands and wives, having an idea of what each other needs goes a long way in accepting, honoring and loving each other.  As we did with wives in out last writing, here are some things that time and experience has taught me what a husband needs from his wife. Again, this list is by no means all-inclusive, but it will give us an idea of some things that will go a long way in loving a husband…

What a Husband needs…

1. A Helper… “The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18) Sometimes, it’s hard for a man to admit the need for help, but… we do!
2. A Wife’s perspective… Sometimes, husbands do not see what we should be seeing or understanding what we should be understanding. A woman has a special gift given by God to have a perspective different from a man’s that can open eyes and expend understanding.
3. Support and encouragement… In a world that can tear down, derail and devastate a husband’s efforts… the encouragement and support of a Godly wife can change everything.
4. Someone to believe in Him and affirm who he is and what he does… Some men are so used to failure, mistakes and inadequacy that they need a wife to believe that he can do it through Christ and affirm to Him that he is not a failure or a “mess up” but a man of God whom God is not done yet with!
5. To give grace in the face of failure… Most men are used to getting “beat up” verbally after they make a mistake. But like Christ, Grace in the face of failure can encourage, build up and establish hope.
6. Respect… R…E…S…P…E…C…T…
7. To respond to them romantically… This is such a tough issue for both husbands and wives. Never be fake or phony and no one should do what they do not want to do.Work on the issues that get in the way of intimacy and be willing to press in not only to solve the problems associated with intimacy but also to ask God’s help to love authentically and to let real affection restore and strengthen a marriage.
8. A wife to have confidence in God. God can change anybody and anything and a husband is in that category. Even in the face of continued broken promises and disappointments… God will come through. He is faithful to His promises and not one has ever failed. A wife’s love for her husband is grounded and rooted in Christ’s love filling her and them giving that love to her husband. As she has faith in God, she can love her husband.

Wives… a marital love is a sacrificial love strengthened and encouraged by God. Ask the help of the Holy Spirit to love as Christ would have you love and, through His strength and Grace, understand and give those things a husbands needs. If I know one thing I know one thing… God is not done yet, with any of us! Lord… thank you for all I need!