One of the reasons wives and husbands experience marital conflict is because they don’t fully understand each other’s needs.

So, let’s take a moment and highlight some of the major differences between men 

and women to better understand your spouse, and hopefully be intentional about meeting their needs.

• Men need respect and ego support.  The number one way to destroy this in your husband is by nagging.

So wives can demonstrate their respect (and appreciation) through loving words and deeds, and by acknowledging their husband’s hard work and effort. 

• One of the needs women have is the need for security in the form of financial stability. They need a husband who is willing to work, has the ability to make sound decisions and is eager to take responsibility for the family’s financial needs.

To meet this need, husbands should decide to be the leader in their home with regards to providing for their family’s needs. 

In this day and age of dual income families when both spouses work, some wives might question if this is an actual need many women still have, but I can assure you it’s still a need that we hear voiced by many of the wives we counsel.

• Women need commitment. 

A husband’s commitment to his wife must be stronger than his commitment to his career, extended family, friends and even himself.

So, if you’re a husband who is reading this, what are some ways you can show your wife that she’s your highest priority? 

• Men need domestic support, not a domestic slave.

With this in mind, a wife should take the lead in doing all she can to make their home a sanctuary – a place of refuge. So, if you’re a wife who is reading this, what are some things you can do this week to improve the environment of your home?