“In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself,

Ephesians 5:28,

⁶² Husbands generally do not downgrade their own accomplishments, make themselves appear incompetent, subject their bodies to cruel treatment, and disregard their need for rest and refreshment. They do not want to have the reputation of being “good-for-nothings,” but desire a dignified standing in the eyes of others. If a husband is really a Christian, he will not make light of whatever weaknesses his wife may have, belittle her or otherwise make her feel low and degraded. He would accord his wife the same kind of dignity and consideration that he wants for himself, making her feel wanted, appreciated and needed.

⁶³ For a wife to have an honorable position in the home, her husband needs to be willing to discuss family matters with her in a calm and reasonable way, getting her thoughts and ideas. The wife should be able to express herself freely, with the assurance that what she says in discussing serious matters will not be lightly dismissed but be given due consideration by her husband. (Compare Judges 13:21-23; 1 Samuel 25:23-34; Proverbs 1:5, 6, 8, 9.) Furthermore, a husband needs to be alert to take note of more than just the spoken word. Deep inner feelings can be revealed by the tone of voice, facial expressions or by lack of enthusiasm or spontaneity. (Compare Proverbs 15:13.) A husband who has come to know his wife will not ignore such things and blindly go ahead with something that might give rise to needless irritation.