Enjoy the Differences

God design for marriage sometimes causes confusion and frustration, but it still can't be beat!!

"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." ~ Genesis 1:27

Seems like a no-brainer to say men are not women and women are not men, but our modern culture is increasingly confused about gender. Gender matters to God or He wouldn't have created it.

When I wrote this devotion in 2012, the fact that God created us male and female wasn't a controversial statement. But things have changed in the last decade, and Christians are living in a culture that denies the most basic facts of science in order to embrace non-biblical agendas. See A Letter from a Reader.

I hope that Christians don't get side-railed by this agenda. But the focus of this post is not political or cultural. It's simply explaining God's wonderful design and encouraging us to embrace it.

Sometimes in our marriages, we forget the obvious: men and women are different.

God design for marriage sometimes causes confusion and frustration, but it still can't be beat!!
It's quite common for we wives to think our husbands have an unusual perspective on things, an "odd" way of processing information, a "strange" way of responding. And the same is true of husbands: they often don't understand our attitudes and actions. 

That's because we see things from our gender-perspective, whether male or female. And sometimes we get frustrated with our differences instead of embracing them. 

God designed men and women differently, and the bottom line is this: I AM SO GLAD MY HUSBAND IS A MAN AND I AM A WOMAN!

So, when his masculine mind confuses, frustrates, perplexes, and even annoys me, I can remember that it also intrigues, guides, inspires, and excites me.

Thank you, Lord, for creating male and female. Thank you for the unique and sometimes ‘illogical’ differences between us. Help my husband enjoy my differences, and help me enjoy his!

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ~ Genesis 1:27
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This is one of my marriage posts, but I also have a home page where I post a one-minute devotion each weekday.
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14 comments:

  1. My husband is currently at home (I work full time) and he simply doesn't see things that need to be done, such as the washing. I asked a few times to do things but he would forget as he was too busy on other things . In the end I stopped asking as I realized he just didn't see things the same as me, just as you are describing .

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    1. I think the key is not taking it personally when he doesn't see things that seem obvious to you...and not getting frustrated if you have to keep reminding him.

      But don't give up : )

      If you're working full time and he's currently at home, I think it's reasonable for him to help. Have you thought of giving him a call from work and asking him to throw in a load? Or what about leaving him a little love note with a laundry reminder p.s.?

      I encourage you to ask God to give your female mind a solution that will speak to your husband's male mind. : )

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  2. Excellent point! It is good to remember that God created mankind Male and Female on purpose for a variety of reasons! God perfectly creates women in general to complete and compliment men in general. Specifically, a man has to find THE WOMAN who God created to complete and compliment him! Then, these two are better together than separately!

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  3. This is so very true! I get frustrated at times because he doesn't want to talk to me like my girlfriends do...but then I start thinking, "would I really want him to?"

    I agree that we need to celebrate the differences between us, and not look for things we wish he would do differently. I'm definitely glad he's a man!

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  4. Truer words were never spoken!! We were most certainly created differently and that is something for which I am extremely thankful!

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  5. What a beautiful reminder! I love reading your blog, always full of wisdom!

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  6. Very true. thanks for sharing your thought. (I am over from the pieces of Amy blog hop) Have a great weekend.

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  7. Gail...how true it is! Thank you for the sweet reminder and for sharing it at WJIM.

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  8. Love this post, Gail. In fact, for my Marital Oneness Mondays link up I'll be featuring a favorite post of mine and I'll be starting with yours, my dear friend! It'll go live tomorrow, Sunday night @8pmish Pacific Standard time. Just wanted to give you the heads-up.

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  9. Great post! So grateful for God's omniscience. He knew much better than 'us girls', (even though 'us girls' think we know it all sometimes) that we need the male perspective.

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  10. Wonderful reminder! It's easy to forget oddly enough...

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  11. Gail,
    It was freeing for both of us when God brought female friends into my life to fill up all those spaces my husband was incapable of filling. . . What a gift female friendship is. I'm so glad you are one of the amazing women I get to call friends :)

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  12. I am so grateful that my husband is a man. That being said, I do wish he could see the things that need done at home when he is off work :)

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