“,,,Let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she noticed him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].” Ephesians 5:33 Amplified
God placed the husband in authority over his wife in the marriage relationship. It is good to clarify that God did not place the male gender in authority over the female gender. The order that God established was between a husband and his wife, and the authority was in regard to the home. Jesus remains the authority of a wife’s heart. Jesus alone is her savior and spiritual authority, just as He is for the husband.
My husband is a person who wants to be loved by me, his wife, and he is. Along with the love I have for him, is the value I place on him, not just as my love, but also as my leader. Love has respect. He respects me for my value, and I respect him, considering him of high worth. It wasn’t always this way. Jerry and I married young, and we had to grow together and correct wrong thinking. There was some heartache, but we grew through it. We love and respect each other more now than we ever thought possible. God now uses us to encourage other couples to commit to each other and work through those refining processes.
Because of love, I want to partner with my husband. I married him because he let me see his heart, and I saw integrity. I saw a man with compassion for people and a passion for God. I saw shared values, a willingness to sacrifice everything we had in order to obey God and fulfill His purpose for our life together. That vision has been tested, but after twenty-seven years, my love for Jerry has only deepened and strengthened.
As a wife, I am subordinate to my husband. As a partner to him, I am wise enough to know that when he does well, and when I do well, it’s “we” who do well. When I honor him, I am building up “us.” If I dishonor him, I am tearing down “us.” Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.”
This is a spiritual truth, and not always understood by the world or the world’s way of thinking. True submission, when done with love and respect, is a pleasure and a privilege. I want to work together with my husband, the leader of our home and our destiny together. We still have a lifetime purpose to fulfill, and it is my joy to be my husband’s partner.
Application: If you are a married woman, take a moment and meet with your husband. Tell him how he is valuable to you and pray over him.