"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way..."
I Peter 3:7
I Peter 3:7
On a recent mission trip, one of the ladies on the team was trying to communicate with our driver, who didn't understand a word of English. When the driver gave her a blank look and shook his head in confusion, the woman began the entire conversation again- only this time she said it louder, as though the increased volume would somehow break the language barrier. After several minutes of this, the woman and the driver finally gave up in frustration; the woman annoyed because the driver didn't understand her and the driver upset because he couldn't figure out why the woman was yelling at him.
It wasn't until later that it struck me that this same scene is acted out in many marriages on a regular basis. I'm not talking about multi-cultural marriages; I'm talking about marriages in which both the husband and the wife speak English. It may seem strange that there would be a language barrier between two people speaking the same language, but the truth is that men and women approach communication very differently. I can't count how many times I have seen a wife trying to express something to her husband, but he just doesn't seem to get it. "How can you not understand what I'm saying?" She asks in frustration. "I'm speaking English!"
How can two people, who speak the same language, have so much trouble communicating? The answer lies in the inherent differences between the sexes. The reality is that women think, feel, and communicate in ways that are unique to their sex. A great deal of the conflict in a marriage arises from the fact that we assume that the opposite sex is just like us (except for the obvious physical differences). Actually, there are more differences than similarities; a fact which can be a blessing or a curse, depending upon the couple's ability to understand and embrace those differences.
Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at some of the differences between the sexes and how a better understanding of those differences can help you to alleviate the conflicts that you may be experiencing in your marriage or in the way that you interact with the opposite sex. I hope that you will join me each week as we explore the mystery of God's creation: Man.
