I'm skimming through Love and Resepct by E. Eggerichs.
The interesting move it makes is to pair together unconditional love (the primary female need) with unconditional respect (the primary male need), as seen in Ephesiasn 5:33.
It's very helpful to place these side-by-side, I think. It shows that respect, for guys, fits into the same relational 'box' as love does for girls. And it's helpful to show the importance and challenge of both loving and respecting even when you don't think the other person deserves it.
Here's one little quote:
Those of you who have a son, consider how sad he may be never to hear from his wife, 'I really respect you'... If his marriage is typical, after the first year, he will know his wife loves him but will feel she neither likes him nor admires him for who he is as a human being. If the pattern is like most, she will spend her energy seeking to help change him by her loving criticism and complaints, whih eventually feel like contempt to him.
Is that a helpful insight? What do you think?
