“Wives, respect and obey your husbands….. Husband, also live with your wife the way you know is right. Respect her because she is a woman” (1 Peter 3:1, 7a World English).
Respect is placing on someone value, special admiration, and putting into consideration his or her likes, dislikes, wishes, and so on.
In a relationship between a husband and wife, it is necessary to treat each other with respect.
Regardless of the fact that marriage has made you ‘one’, you are still two different people with different backgrounds, personalities/traits, likes and dislikes.
The culture we find ourselves in makes us think it is the duty of a woman to respect the man, while the man does as he likes. This is very wrong.
Respect cuts both ways. It is reciprocal, it is earned also.
Females are socialised to be sweet, accommodating, passive, well-mannered, and so on. When they grow up and get into relationships, many don’t really know what to do in response to disrespect; they just feel it is the norm.
This should not be so.
When you and your spouse are intimate, he/she should respect your likes and dislikes. Learn to understand that your spouse does not like some things, don’t demand that he/she gives you reasons.
And if he/she concedes to you, you should show appreciation in a loving way.
Husband! don’t speak to your wife like an angry dad or like she is an idiot. Wife! don’t yell and raise your voice at your husband; most importantly, don’t mother him.
Men don’t like to be told what to do; always make him feel like his opinion is valid.
Even in the heat of conflict, you shouldn’t disrespect each other. If it gets that heated, someone should walk away for some minutes or hours, as the situation may require, to cool off.
When around your spouse’s friends and family, learn to treat them with respect; this shows that you respect your spouse. They are an extension of him/her.
Once you start taking these conscious actions of respect, you will notice in no time that your spouse starts to love you more, because respect and love go hand in hand in marriage.