Ephesians 5:21-22  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:25-28  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
NASB Translation
Many times in a discussion about wives, Ephesians 5:22 was quoted in support of, why wives should be subject to their husbands. Unless someone called it to their attention, verse 21, be subject to one another, was ignored, verses 25-28 were ignored also. I can understand why the word is ignored, because it is quite a challenge to love my wife as the Bible instructs. It can be hard to go against what men, and women also, were brought up to believe, when even society in general didn’t follow God’s direction. When I was growing up I heard men say things like, they need to know their place, and stay in it, need to know who’s boss, keep them barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. Fortunately, I was taught to never hit a women and show respect to them. Seems like no one is teaching young men that today. Many women equally show disrespect to their husbands. God blessed me with a wonderful helpmate. She as I, are not perfect and she does not fit the fantasy of the wife described in Proverbs 31, but I do not fit any female fantasy of a perfect mate either. As we have grown closer to God and each other, we are beginning to understand about this one flesh God was speaking of. I can’t cleanse and sanctify Faye, as God did the church, but I should lead, encourage, love, and help her grow in Christ along with me, until death do us part. I believe if men loved their wife as Jesus loved the church, most women would be happy to submit themselves to their husbands.
Lord help me love Faye as you loved the church.