Genesis 2:5-24

Men and women are different and that is how God created us.  He created two complimentary beings that fit together like a puzzle.  We will look at God’s creation account in Genesis 2 to see how God wired men and women to complement each other.

Emotional Differences

First of all men and women get emotional satisfaction in different ways.  This difference arises from God’s purpose in creating man and woman.  God wired man and woman to serve a particular function at creation and there is satisfaction for each gender when that purpose is served.

• Man – Genesis 2:5-7 – Accomplishment/Task Oriented/Action
• Woman – Genesis 2:18, 21-24 – Relational/Worth/Value

Mental Differences

Secondly, God wired man and woman to process information differently, to think differently.  These differences were highlighted during temptation.

• Man – 1 Timothy 3:14 – Logical/Reason.  Information is processed like building blocks.
• Woman – Genesis 3:6 – Sensual.  Information is processed by how she feels about it.

How We Deal with Difficulties

Thirdly, as a result of how man and woman were wired to process knowledge and get emotional satisfaction, each will seek to resolve difficulties in their own unique way.

• Man – Solution/Resolution/Facts/Isolate/Focus.  Men want solutions. They need to remove the “clutter” and focus on the problem at hand.  Men want concrete information when a difficulty arises.
• Woman – Sympathy/Understanding/Reassurance/Feelings/Socialize.  Women want understanding.  She needs to know she isn’t the only one that feels the way she does. This leads to dealing with difficulties through socialization.

Directions to Each Spouse

• Man
  • Listen with empathy, understanding, not necessarily to solve a problem
  • Say/Do many small things
  • Ask her how she feels about things and don’t take her feelings personally.
  • Appreciate her motive over her message as you need to.
• Woman
  • Be encouraging
  • Ask his advice
  • Appreciate his help