Just a Little Respect

Week 34, Weekend

Melanie Redd

Nevertheless, 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 (nasb)

At a dinner for my husband’s job, we had the chance to sit with my husband’s boss and his wife. As we chatted over dinner, his boss began to brag on my man. He was extremely pleased with the job that my husband was doing. I responded by bragging on my husband to his boss. I shared a few things that I thought my husband was doing well and some ways that I was proud of him.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a huge smile appeared on my husband’s face. He really seemed to like the fact that I was boasting on him while he was seated with me. In the car on the way home, he mentioned that he did like it when I bragged on him in public.

Many times I have bragged on my husband when he was not around, but I had not done a good job of advertising his good qualities while he was with me.

What about you? Do you take the chance to let everyone know what a great guy you are married to? Does he hear you boasting about him in public? Would he like to?

In Ephesians 5, the wife is urged to “see to it that she respects her husband.” Respect means “admiration given by others, appreciation, courtesy, esteem, honor, and ovation.”[i] To show respect to our husbands is to clap for them and give them our appreciation—both in public and in private.

No matter who he is, what he does, or how he treats you, you can still show respect for something in your husband’s character. Look today for three things you can admire about your man. Consider his work ethic, his strength, his courage, or his sense of humor. Tell him what you appreciate, and then let him “catch” you telling someone else!

Lord, it’s hard to show my husband respect at times, but I want to do a better job. Help me to unselfishly put him before myself and my needs. Give me the grace to show him honor and respect today. Use my obedience to make my marriage better and our relationship sweeter. In Jesus’ name, amen.

[i] Dictionary.com, http://www.dictionary.com, s.v. “respect.”