PowerPoint - Nov. 5, 2008

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

--Genesis 1:27

I am blessed to have a happy marriage, but it’s not from my own knowledge. God’s Word is the finest marriage manual available. After all, God established the home.

So, if you are trying to understand your spouse, open God’s Word. 1 Peter chapter 3 deals specifically with the roles and relationships between husbands and wives.

The first step to understanding your mate is to realize that we are different. Men and women are not just physically different, but also emotionally and spiritually different.

Men and women express themselves differently, handle emotions differently, respond to crisis differently, view marriage differently, and on and on.

Why are we so different? God made us that way. According to today’s verse, “male and female he created them.”

God is full of infinite variety and creativity. Nothing that God made is exactly the same. And husbands and wives are no exception. From the beginning, men and women have always been equal, but they have NEVER been the same.

How does this apply to your marriage? In marriage we must affirm and accept this diversity. Understand your uniqueness; accept one another. Don’t waste so much time trying to change your mate.

It is not your job to change your mate, it is God’s. It is your job to love your mate.

TELL YOUR SPOUSE WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL AND UNIQUE.