“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12

Do you long to be an excellent wife? A woman who is valued above wealth? A woman trusted by her husband? 

The Bible shows us the Proverbs 31 woman. She works hard, and she serves her husband, her children, and others. She has her own business, and she is strong. 

It is evident that the Proverbs woman respects her husband, for he trusts her, and she does what is good for him.

We also see mutual respect in the New Testament. Paul calls Priscilla and Aquila his fellow workers in Christ Jesus, Romans 16:3.

Paul tells husbands to love their wives as Jesus loves the church and gave His life for her, and that wives are to respect their husbands. 

Each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:33

“When you have a husband thinking, ‘I’m one with my wife, and I must think and act that way, and a wife thinking, ‘My husband is the head of our oneness, and I need to respect and defer to him as the head,’ then you will have a healthy, Biblical marriage.” David Guzik

7 Ways to Show Your Husband that You Respect Him

1. Recite your respect.

   “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.” Song of Songs 2:3

   Tell others how much you admire your husband, and how he stands out among other men. Share how he protects you and comforts you. Give examples of how he delights you.

2. Esteem his essence. 

   “You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.” Psalm 45:2 This Psalm is a marriage song of the bride and her king. It also refers to the eternal King, Jesus (Hebrews 1:8).

   Ponder your husband’s goodness and thank the Lord for fashioning this man for you.

3. Serve your soulmate.

   “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him’” Genesis 2:18 “Help, ezer,” appears 21 times in the Old Testament; 15 of those references to “help” refer to God as our help. 
   “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20
   What a privilege to know that we are created as a suitable helper for our husbands!

4. Pronounce your pride.

   “How handsome you are, my beloved, And so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!” Song of Songs 1:16

   Have you placed your hand on your husband’s bicep as you’re walking with him and asked him if he works out? I’ll bet he will tighten his muscles, so that his bicep hardens. He’s probably grinning, too. Try it!

5. Elevate your mate.

   “But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” Luke 1:60

   Zacharias and Elizabeth were childless and beyond the age of bearing children when Gabriel announced to Zacharias in the temple that he was going to have a son, John the Baptist. Because Zacharias questioned Gabriel, Gabriel told him that he would not be able to talk. When it was time to circumcise their baby, Elizabeth named the baby “John,” but the people objected because there was no one in the family named John. Surely Zacharias had let her know that the baby’s name should be John. When they asked Zacharias, he wrote on a tablet, “His name is John.” 

   Have you stood firm with your husband in spite of objections from others? Knowing that he has your firm support, he sees that you have elevated him above others.

6. Cherish your gift from God.

   “Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:23-24

   When I was in high school, I started praying for the man that God had prepared for me. I did not know Keith when I started praying. Several years later, we met and started dating. This was the man God prepared for me from before the foundation of the world.

   Meditate on the gift God has given you, your husband. What if you started viewing your husband as a gift from God? Cherish him and see how God works in your marriage.

7. Treasure his tender touch.

   “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.” Song of Songs 1:2

   Kisses, hugs, back rubs, foot massages, pats on the back, and gentle brushes when we pass. Touch demonstrates that you value your husband, and that you treasure his body.

My prayer

Our Father in heaven, thank You for the gifts you have given us in our husbands. Help us to walk in respect and love as we grow in unity with our husbands. We pray for our husbands. Bless them and give them a greater passion for You and Your work. Bless us and teach us how to bless our husbands to even greater capacities as we behold Your great love for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please share how you show your husband that you respect him in the “Comments” section below.

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