LIVING STREAMS DEVOTIONAL
By Pst. Ezekiel Atang
APRIL 2025
WISDOM FROM ABOVE
(James 3:17)
Wednesday, 9th April
GOD’S WISDOM FOR MARITAL SUCCESS II
Ephesians 5:33 NIV
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
Having discussed and fairly trashed the matter of love of a husband for his wife as the first law for marital success, I want us to take a look at the next law for marital success today. Our text spells it out without any ambiguity whatsoever. And it is:
Law #2
The Law of Respect
I know it is mostly known and referred to as submission, but many people have not understood the basic concept underlying the principle of submission at all. Many women think of it as slavery, while others see it as bondage. But far from it, it is more about leadership in the home; it is about one captain in the ship and not two. It is recognizing the authority of your husband as the one that God will hold responsible, should anything go wrong in the home. Submission is yielding to your husband’s decisions, even when you do not agree with him sometimes.
Beyond these, submission here simply talks of respect. Many authors and speakers have said that a man’s greatest need is sex. That may be true for just any man, but not for husbands. No husband can have sex successfully with a wife that disrespects him. Therefore a husband’s greatest need is Respect. Take away respect from the man and he could run mad. A man not respected by his wife feels less than a man. A man not respected by his wife could stay away from home for days, weeks and months without feeling it. A man could divorce his wife very easily for not being respected. It is as serious as that.
Many wives would say “but I respect you”. That sounds like a husband who loves his wife on his own terms and then says “you know I love you”. Pay attention to the grievances of your husband, and the ways he says you disrespect him and make changes. For a man, respect is in the choice of words, the tone of your voice, the timing of your talk, your insistence on certain things he has already concluded on, your public comments of him, etc. You will need to engage the services of the Holy Spirit to be able to learn how to really respect your husband. The King James Bible used the word “reverence” in our text. More like what you do to the Lord Himself. It is such that when you are not happy with him, you should do so respectfully. The amplified bible sums it up so beautifully.
“However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices 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]”. (AMP)
Receive wisdom in Jesus Name.
Action Points
i. Carefully go over the devotional again, and note some action points.
ii. Have a frank discussion with your husband on how he would prefer to be respected and submitted to.
iii. Possibly ask him to point out instances so you can be clear on it.
Prayer
Wife’s Prayer: -Lord please open my eyes and understanding as to how my husband really needs to be treated and respected by me.
-Lord grant me understanding on the matters of his complaints in the past in Jesus Name.
Husband’s Prayer: -Lord deal with my wife on all the matters of concern to me as it pertains to our relationship in Jesus Name.
-Lord please go ahead of me and minister to her by yourself in a language she will understand in Jesus Name.
Nugget
Take away respect from the man and he could run mad, a man not respected by his wife feels less than a man.
For Further Reading and Meditation
MORNING
Zechariah 11; Matthew 7
EVENING
Psalms 144
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