"Let the wife see...."

"However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Ephesians 5:33 This is an equal command to man to give his wife what's the hardest for him to give and for the woman to give what's the hardest for her to give. When married to the perfect person, it comes easier, but knowing so few of us are perfect, God gives us each a duty. Women love easily, but we tend to try to be 'holy spirits' to our men. That's not respecting them. That's trying to renew them. It's not our job to renew them and it's also not respecting God. Like our relationships with our fathers are reflected in our relationships with our husbands (our heads) are reflected in our relationships with Christ. If we aren't respecting our earthly headships, we most likely have a problem respecting our heavenly Lord, too. Christ is easier to respect because He is perfect and earned it, but God's command isn't to men to earn our respect. It is to women to give the respect to at least the position if you can't respect the man. But if you show respect to your husband, you're giving him the freedom to become respectable. You're releasing him to respond to the work God is doing in him, for God to mold him into a man of God - the man of God you also want him to be. Or do you? Women do like to be in control and we have a responsibility to control our homes. But that is to control them under our husband's leadership. We must not contradict his wishes, unless they go against God. But we can control our homes within our husbands leadership and preferences. That's one way we respect them. I love the Proverbs 31 verse that says "the heart of her husband trusts in her...she does him good, and not harm.." (vs. 11, 12) That's respecting his wishes, preferences, position and person. As we trust God and entrust our man to God, we can respect our husbands and be the complement he needs. We will no doubt be loved in return. The commands go hand in hand, as should we.