Treat Your Wife With Respect As The Weaker Partner
Posted: Friday, September 14, 2007
by Angie Lewis
Heaven Ministries
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. (1 Peter 3:7 NIV)
What does the above scripture mean? This scripture does not mean “weaker partner” in the sense of moral or intellectual ability, but in physical ability. What is Peter trying to teach to husbands? I think Peter is telling husbands to honor and respect their wives by protecting them against outside influences and criminal abuses. If a husband is a man of God he will protect his wife from harm.
Let’s compare those days to these days. A woman’s life may be a bit easier today than it used to be back in the bible days, but women are still very much vulnerable to criminal attack and physical abuses just because she won’t let her man protect her. More and more women are getting beaten, raped, and murdered because they have a rebellious attitude toward being protected by their men.
Statistics also show that much of the poverty in this world is from single mothers trying to eke out a living for themselves and children. Many of them don’t have the money to get an education and that leaves them working, usually factory and minimum wage jobs to support a family. So nothing has changed.
Oh yes, more women are climbing up the corporate ladder than ever before, and more women who once had a man supporting them, are getting divorced and raising children on their own and both of these types are still getting raped, manhandled, manipulated, beaten and murdered. So what has changed?
I think that if a husband were allowed to protect and care for his wife the way that is instinctive for him according to his masculine and protective abilities then he would do it. But unfortunately, many wives believe they are not in control when their husband protects them in this way. They want to go out at night when it is dark, they want to travel alone, and they want to do all the things that men do, and without their man beside them.
In the above scripture, Peter is implying, if the husband does not take care of his wife properly by protecting her from outside influences and other maltreatments and abuses of society, then his prayers for himself and family may become hindered.
God wants us to live righteously by having a right relationship with Him first. So the bottom line is a husband is to submit to God’s will first, so he can respect and care for his wife properly so his prayers for his family will not be hindered and his relationship with God will not suffer.
Husbands treat your wives with RESPECT as the weaker partner in the area of protection and headship. Wives, let your husband be your man and let him lead the way God instructs him to. A devoted husband will not divorce is wife and leave her unprotected, and a devoted wife will let her husband protect her.
Angie Lewis has written three books on how to have a happy marriage. She has just finished her fourth book THE ALCOHOLISM TRAP: Understanding Why You Drink and What You Can Do To Achieve Total Sobriety.
For more information about this book and marriage books, please visit: http://www.heavenministries.com
To see book previews, please visit: http://stores.lulu.com/angielewis
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Angie, you are absolutely correct. Along with this lesson many should read Ephesians 5:22-33. It has been misquoted and misunderstood so many times. Wives are called to submit, BUT husbands are called to love their wives as "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...." Ephesians 5:25. Can you imagine if all husbands lived by this part of the Word. My wife and I share in our relationship, but we both admit we each bring talents and strengths to make ourselves whole as a couple. Thank you for your article.Thanks, Jon Searles, I am glad you enjoyed the article. God bless, Angie
Hi Angie, it took awhile for me to come across this article. Well said. It is unfortunate that women are not allowing men to be men. Society has it backward and they don't understand why the world is a mess. If we would all humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, this world would be a better place. Someday, it will be as it should. I can't wait to come riding down on my horse with Jesus :-) God Bless you, Teresa
"More and more women are getting beaten, raped, and murdered because they have a rebellious attitude toward being protected by men."What? Women being raped and killed is partly due to the fact that they don't want to be protected by men? I think you should clarify. Women being battered by others has nothing to do with them not wanting men to protect them. God forbid some abused women come across this article and feel even more guilt as to why someone is abusing them. Do some women go out alone late at night? Yes. Some women put themselves in vulnerable situations. Do they all? No. Those are mostly stereotypes. More women are raped by people they know and therefore probably trust. More women are killed by their husbands than by strangers. I don't think things are in disarray just because women won't let men protect them. It's not just about women not wanting men to be in control, or because of their pride or their own selfish pursuits. Many men don't step up and claim these roles. Sometimes women have to take over things, because men aren't living up to being the fathers and husbands they ought to be. Many women do go out and seek work outside the home, but it's not always for selfish purposes. It's to feed their children. How many families can actually survive with the husband being the sole financial provider? Times are tough and things are extremely expensive. Having a husband support a wife and family in that way seems more of a luxury than reality at times.I understand what you are trying to get across as regard to the majority of women not being as physically strong as men. I am Christian, I know what Scripture says, but I strongly disagree with some of your points.It's because a lot of women feel that they don't need to commit exclusively to a man. They're becoming too career-oriented, sex-crazed, greedy, and independent. It is true that high-status career women are also being drugged, raped and/or kidnapped in public compared to high-status men because working outside the home is considered more dangerous for women, especially those that are wives and mothers.
In other words, the more women think and act with logic, reasoning, rationality, and practicality, instead of emotion, the more men will become aggressive because men can't tolerate such changes like this and therefore, they're not very flexible.Hi Guest. It was because of your comment that I noticed I did not comment on the person above who wrote in almost 2 years ago. Anyway, thanks for reading the article and commenting. Have a blessed day!
Angie :-)M, I don't know how I missed your comment but I just saw it now. I appreciate your thoughts, even though we do and will still disagree. Let me be clearer.
Yes, the whole idea of women in the workforce started out so women could "choose" to work just like a man and to me that is rebellious. How come were one income families able to eke out a living 100 years ago? What has changed? What has changed is women do not want to be industrious in their own homes and for their families, instead they want a paycheck just like a man--to me that is rebellious. it used to be families bought wheat, rice and other vegetables and grains from the farmers, or grew their own, did not have two cars, lived within their means, not on credit and were fine with one income. Women did not spend money on clothes like they do today, and put their children in expensive day care either. all of this is unecessary expenses, even today. Most families, if they would wise up and use their creativity, talents and industriousness they would only need one income. Too much stuff and materialism!! I want and need attitude!
No woman should be subjected to working among other men, submitting to a boss nor driving home alone at night, or going out at night, etc, etc, etc. All of these things cause a woman to not be home and so yes, this rebelliousness to her role for marriage and family is causing women to be more prone to being physical and emotionally battered by the outside world, just like the commenter said below. If it is not physically, it is emotionally ad sexually in the workforce......I'm not sure how you could not see this? And yes, you are right women are raped by people they know...by their workplace.
Blessings,
Angie
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