Do you feel like there is a lid on your prayers? Are you offering them up and they don’t seem to be going anywhere? If you’re a husband, there may be a reason for this.
1 Peter 3:7 - Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your
wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you
of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Things to think about:
· We all like
to quote the “wives be submissive to your husbands” verses, don’t we???
· But this blade
cuts both ways so let’s look at what some of the responsibilities of the
husband are. If we choose to gloss over
this, there are serious consequences.
· “Be
considerate as you live with your wives”
o
Who can drive us the craziest?
The people we live with, of course!
I think it’s interesting that Peter calls out “as you live with your
wives”.
o
We should be prioritizing our wives’ feelings first rather than
demanding our way
o
We ought to do the little things that we know make them happy rather
than try to win an argument by belittling their unimportance (to our way of
thinking anyway)
o
What other ways can we be considerate as we live with our wives?
· “And treat them
with respect as the weaker partner”
o
Clearly, men on the whole are physically stronger than women
§ We have an
obligation and a duty to protect our wives that our physical strength afford
us. It is to our honor to be able to do
this.
§ What I don’t
think it means is that women are weaker intellectually or spiritually
o
And this is to be done with respect, showing her honor
o
In what ways can you think of can you show your wife respect?
o
What do you think God wants you to learn by treating your wife
with respect?
· “And as heirs
with you of the gracious gift of life”
o
There is an equality here that is not to be missed. She is your peer in the sight of God.
o
She is an heir with you in the greatest gift God can bestow – life
o
Any sense of superiority should be done away with.
· As always, there
are consequences to our choices. If we choose
to ignore this directive, He makes it clear that our prayers will be hindered
o
Matthew 5:23-24 - “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the
altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to
them; then come and offer your gift.”
o
Practicing “religion” while being disrespectful to our wives is
simply unacceptable.
§ Whatever is
panging your conscience right now is probably exactly the behavior you need to
change for the sake of your marriage and your relationship with God
