Men Are To Understand Their Wives - 1 Peter 1-3

1 Peter 3:7 (ESV Strong's)
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Men Need to Seek to Understand

I am not sure were the world came up with the phrase, “Seek to understand rather than to be understood.”  But, in the above text that is what God is saying to husbands about their relationship with their wives.    It is important to note the context of the Greek and Hebrew world when it comes to understanding what the Bible says about marriage and what the hearers would have observed in their day-to-day lives.   The Greeks and, even the Hebrews, did not always treat their wives the way God intended in the original plan, before the fall of mankind.  Note what God intended:

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

Christian men need to be careful to not allow the curse of the fall to rule their hearts and minds about their help-mate. The Christian experience is to restore the original intent of the man-wife relationship.  Men for their part, according to Peter, are expected to “seek to understand” their wives.   We are to live with them based upon our knowledge of them.  Since all woman are different, we are to to treat them based upon the statements of others, but in an understanding manner ... knowing them.  We are to know their strengths and their weaknesses.   We are to protect them and shelter than where necessary and let them flourish in their strengths where they can.    They are “heirs” of the grace we both share.  Believing men did not get more grace than believing women.   God gave them both grace.  We are to use that grace to understand, minister and love each other.  Why?  So that our mutual prayers in faith toward God are not hindered.   Hiding anger in your heart to your spouse will cut off your prayer power toward God.   That is the simply truth God gave here.  The loving and understanding relation we have with our spouse is to make sure we have prayer power.   It is not so that we have a great life together.   We will, but that is not the point.   We are to understand that God has given us a relationship to practice His grace in order to have a deeper relationship with Him.