"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WITH HURTING MARRIAGES"
1st Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:
1. Peter has been speaking to wives in the first 6 verses of this chapter, but now he addresses the husbands, giving very clear, concise, and simple instruction on how a husband is to live with his wife, and how he is to treat her, and the blessings they both have in Christ. Let's take a close look at what God has said to us through the apostle Peter.
(1) 1st Peter 3:7a "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding". The idea here is that of the husband treating his wife with honor and understanding. In other words, just as the wife has responsibilities from the Lord as to how she is to live with her husband, the Lord has similar responsibilities for the husband. And, the idea here again, is that of "consideration" Or with an intelligent recognition of the relationship you have with your wife. Or, try the best you can to understand her. All the while honoring her.
(2) 1st Peter 3:7b "as to the weaker vessel" Peter is not suggesting at all that the woman is weaker intellectually, but rather physically. While not popular in our modern day culture to say this, it's a simple truth, that women are not as strong physically as men are. And, it's important for a husband as he seeks to honor his wife, and understand her, that he is aware of her physical limitations as compared with his own. She is simply weaker physically than you are.
(3) 1st Peter 3:7c. "and as being heirs together of the grace of life," Here's something else the husband is to understand, that though there are differences between them, there is this similarity ( that is assuming the wife has come to faith in Jesus Christ, and is born again ) that they are both joint heirs of the grace of God. God has bestowed His unmerited favor upon both the husband and the wife. Both are equal partners in God's gift of new life. In other words in this matter you are equals.
(4) 1st Peter 3:7d. " that your prayers may not be hindered." There are different opinions as to just exactly what this means. But, many believe that what Peter is saying here, is that unless a husband treats his wife the way God wants him to, prayers (either the husbands prayers, or the husband and wife praying together ) will be difficult, and or hindered. God wants prayer to be heard, and not just run into the ground as it were. He wants both husband and wife to be unhindered in their ability to pray. It's not to hard to understand for example that if a husband is failing in his duties to his wife, and then asks her to pray with him, she might be resentful and not really be able to put her heart into it. And, on the other hand, if the husband is failing in his duties, he himself will probably not be too inclined to pray. So, loving your wife the way God wants the husband to, will help in the overall communication with God Himself.
(5) God has called the husband to love his wife as his own body, and to lead her by serving her. In fact, the actual first priority in the husbands life, ought to be his wife. My what a difference it makes in a marriage that is hurting when the husband willingly and joyfully and consistently takes his responsibilities seriously, and serves his wife in a sincere way.
A prayer:
Father, thank You for marriage. It's not good for us to be alone. You have created this wonderful union with our spouses. And, yet Lord there can be so much hurt and difficulty that can find it's way into a marriage. Lord, You are the creator of marriage, and Your Word gives us all the instruction we need on how to act within the marriage. You also provide us with the power of Your Holy Spirit to carry out a life that is pleasing to You. So, today Lord, we pray for hurting marriages and ask that anyone reading this who is in a hurting marriage might just pause now, and acknowledge You, and ask for Your wisdom, grace, power and mercy. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
