Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians5:25-33 (NIV)
People like to dwell on the submission part that precedes this, but this passage requires the husband to love his wife. This may not sound too hard, but loving and faking love are 2 different things. I know a few husbands who cannot say they love their wives. It is all too hard to force yourself to love a person; but if you have to force yourself, then it’s not really love now, is it? This chapter calls on both the husband and the wife to perform near impossible feats. I think this plays toward the fact that a marriage needs attention and work to be successful.
Like mblase pointed out, "Mindless servitude" is neither implied nor intended. Also I think it is the husband’s responsibility to conduct himself in such a way as to deserve the respect of his wife.
Again like mblase pointed out, I believe a structure for the home was intended. I think it illustrates the required partnership of a marriage beautifully.