I ran across a funny comic strip that had a man and a woman sitting on a couch, looking as if they are experiencing a rift in their relationship. The caption at the bottom has the woman saying to the man, “It’s like you haven’t heard a single thing I’ve thought.” For many men, this is an accurate depiction of what it is like to be married. Women are enigmatic and unpredictable to us, and we often find ourselves throwing our hands up in dismay at our inability to understand what it happening. It is in this context that Peter speaks to men about how to conduct themselves with their wives. As a married man, Peter presumably knew about the difficulty that men have in understanding their wives. However, Peter’s single command to married men has to do with being an understanding partner to the woman God has given you. His command is challenging, but also beautiful and life-giving. If you are a man and if the wherever-youare in which you find yourself is marriage, then this passage should be one that you read, study, reflect upon, and perhaps memorize. It is core to God’s calling for you. If your station in life is not as a married man, this passage will still speak to issues surrounding marriage, relationships, and the kind of self-denial to which God calls each of us.