Do you believe that marriage licenses should expire every 4 years just like drivers licenses? Many married couples wish their marriages would expire so that they could walk away from their relationship simply because they do not understand their mate. This lack of understanding is due in part to not understanding our gender differences. In Psalms 139:14 we are told that “we are fearfully and wonderfully made” and the evidence is found in our gender differences. Our gender differences transcend our obvious physical attributes and reproductive function. We were created with 46 chromosomes which make up elements of our DNA; 2 of those chromosomes are specifically related to our gender differences. Sexual differentiation begins shortly after conception where males are identified by the XY chromosome and females are identified by the XX chromosome. Men are uniquely different from women in that they have both the female X chromosome and the male Y chromosome. In 1981, Dr. Roger Sperry won the Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine as a result of his research on the human brain. His research revealed that the brain is bilateral with two different hemispheres, which means that we are two thinking beings residing in the same body. Our left brain is the analytical rational objective side and the right brain is the intuitive emotional subjective side. There is much debate about the science and theory that men lean toward the left analytical brain and women lean toward right intuitive brain. Men and women often misunderstand one another because the man sometimes processes his experience through analysis whereby the woman draws conclusions based on her intuitive emotional side. Although some will disagree with the theory many will agree with the experience. There is research that indicates that women have as much as 20,000 words per day while men have as few as 7000 words per day. It is reported that the healthy heterosexual men have as much as 10-20 times more of the sex hormone testosterone than women. One poll indicates that 70% of men think about sex daily in contrast to 34% of women. God created men and women so distinctly different that we exist in different places emotionally, intellectually and physically. One of the best ways to get to know someone is to go to their house and see where and how they live. Likewise, if men and women are going to truly understand one another, we have to try to find the place where the other person is emotionally, intellectually and physically. Neither person can selfishly stay in their house and expect the other to always come to them, there needs to be a reciprocal desire for both parties to visit where the other one lives. This will require that we step outside our shoes into the shoes of the other person. So then why did God give men the female X chromosome but women don’t have the male Y chromosome? We can trace the answer back to the creation account in Genesis where we are told that man was put to sleep and woman was taken from his rib. Since the woman was created from the man, men are in essence more like women than women are like men. 1 Peter 3:7 in essence says that men are required to understand woman. Perhaps God gave men the female X chromosome to give him a greater innate ability to understand women since he is ordained to be the head. Once again, this does not mean that women do not have a reciprocal responsibility to try and understand men however it is wisdom for a man to seek to understand before he seeks to be understood.Finally it is important to understand that just as we cannot live without blood flowing threw our veins our relationships will not be healthy without communication flowing through our relationship. Just as blood carries oxygen to our cells our communication should carry life to our relationship. If a man feels like he is being disrespected he needs to be able to say that without being offensive and if a woman feels like she is not getting enough attention she needs to be able to express that also. We always need to be mindful that it is not what we say but how we say it. Remember, a real relationship is not perfect and perfect relationship is not real. The differences between men and women are not intended for them to compete with one another but to compliment one another. Although the differences that exist between men and women are many they are only obstacles that can be overcome with the wisdom of God and love for one another. 
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