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No Bulls In The China Shop!


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. (I Peter 3:7) 

         "Yeah, husbands,..." in the same way that citizens are to submit to their government, and wives are to submit to their husbands, husbands are to be considerate of their wives. "In the same way" means that being considerate of someone is another way of saying being submissive. Considerate is defined as "careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others."  The various forms of "submit" are used thirty five times in the NIV translation of the Bible. The various forms of "consider" are used one hundred thirty four times. Of course, the number of times a term is used isn't necessarily a direct indication of its relative importance but I think the connection is worth considering. The fact that he adds "treat them with respect" strengthens the connection further.
          So what does "considerate" and "respect" look like? It doesn't mean absolute obedience, but it does mean giving good thought to the opinions of and not rejecting those opinions without good reason. It means not treating roughly or ignoring her needs at any level: spiritual, emotional, social, physical, relational.... To do this for a "weaker partner" means that one has to be especially considerate.  Both men and women can have a tendency to be a "bull in a china shop" with regard to the other. In this passage, men are being told that if they aren't considerate and respectful of their wives, their prayers will be hindered. That is how important God sees the way that we treat others.

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