Did you know that right before 1 Peter 3:7 there are verses 5 and 6? It’s true! Don’t take my word for it. (Never take my word for it. Always check to make sure I’m telling the truth.) Look it up yourself.

“For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.”

– 1 Peter 3:5

Sometimes I speak at marriage conferences and one of the things I say (that always gets a big laugh) is, “Ladies, you should start calling your husband ‘Master’ in public.” That line brings the house down! No self-respecting, empowered, intelligent woman in the United States would call her hopelessly flawed husband, ‘Master.’ Obviously, these verses are exaggerations, right?

“What if my husband cheats on me?!!!”

When the scripture tells you to do something difficult, like submit to your husband, it is not good to immediately look for ways to justify ignoring it. You have a lousy husband. There is no doubt about that. Every husband is a sinner. Sarah’s husband made her a sex slave in a foreign land. And I’m very sorry about this, but Sarah is the example you’ve been given.

Abraham gave Sarah away to a foreign king. Actually, he did it more than once! A reasonable person would call that an epic betrayal. Sarah didn’t submit to Abraham because he had earned her trust. She submitted to Abraham because she trusted God.

If you’re going to say that verses 5 and 6 don’t apply to your situation, then to be fair, you need to throw out verse 7 as well. “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” – 1 Peter 3:7

It’s a tad unfair to exempt yourself from submitting to your husband while holding him to the commandment to be considerate of you. If your husband DOES treat you with consideration, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s because you DESERVE it. He’s treating you with respect because that’s how he worships God.

NOTICE: I’m NOT telling you what you should do. I’m just highlighting a couple of bible verses that most men are afraid to read out loud. Submitting to your husband is your call. God has given you freedom to choose. Does that scare you? That’s okay. Remember, the bible says don’t give way to fear.