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What Is the Biblical Way to Love Your Wife?

Ken and Tabatha Claytor

I want to love my wife how she needs to be loved, not just how I want to be loved. 1 Peter 3:7 comes to mind, which says that husbands should live with their wives with understanding, honoring them as the weaker vessels so that our prayers aren't hindered. This means I need to honor my wife physically while recognizing her emotional and spiritual strength.

Years ago, I learned I never want our issues to block my prayers. Imagine trying to pray to God, but He’s not listening because of a problem between us. Honoring her as the weaker vessel is about physical strength, not emotional or spiritual. Though some women could probably beat their husbands in arm wrestling, that’s not the point.

The scripture’s main message is to live with understanding. My job is to learn how my wife receives love, to understand her, and to know what makes her happy and what doesn’t. There are certain buttons that I should never push because they upset her. I’ve learned to avoid those and focus on loving her in a way that makes her feel cherished. This means constantly studying her and dwelling with her according to knowledge.

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