1 Peter, Chapter 3

We are rolling on through the book of 1 Peter. Today we are in Chapter 3. You can open your Bible or go to BibleGateway.com if you would like.

As I am reading I am realizing what a little gem 1 Peter is! I have not 'studied' the book before but I recognize many of the key elements. This may be a small book but it is filled with tons of wisdom and clear directions for faith-filled living.

Remember yesterday when I said I have a hard time submitting to others (I am constantly trying to improve on that), well the same goes for me relationship as a wife. The first paragraph of chapter 3 is talking directly to me. So loudly that at first reading I skim right over it and do not let it sink in too deep. But God, who is always intentional in what He does, wants me to dig in and fully understand.

I am a "modern" wife that enjoys her own freedoms, makes her own way in the world, defines herself in the singular before the plural. I am sure some of that come from being an only child of a single mother. The early parts of my life were filled with strong, independent 'I am woman hear me roar' kinds of thinking. But in the beginning of this chapter I am clearly called to be submissive to my husband and not just for my sake but more importantly for his. Through the "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight," I am to show my husband the Glory of God.

The second half of verse six is like a gun shot through a silent wilderness, "...if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." I have never thought of my actions being a result of fear. I try my very best to not live in fear and to put all FAITH in God, but maybe I am missing the mark on this one. Maybe I am fearful of losing my identity. Fearful of having decisions made for me. Fearful of trusting someone else, only to be left open for pain and disappointment. Fearful of following someone down a path and then finding out we are both lost.

But after I read the end of verse six I went back up to verses one and two and reread them. Now I focused my thoughts, not on my fears but on what God is calling me to DO "...so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives."

Well, ok then!
My actions can lead to my husband being a believer or can be a deterrent to his relationship with Christ. Now all of a sudden it is not about my personal fears, it is about the thoughts and feelings of someone else. I am partly responsible for how my husband views what a relationship with God is like.

Being that I am not a husband I can not speak to verse seven other than to say that I pray that when my husband reads it he is filled with the same sense of responsibility and reverence for our relationship as I now am.

The second half of the chapter goes into more detail on the beauty of suffering for doing good. Yes, I said the beauty of, because in verse twelve it says "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer." What could be more beautiful than that. We are called to be sympathetic, compassionate, humble and because of living in such a way we may inherit blessings from God. An inheritance is something of value, something we desire to receive. And to receive such a gift from God is a beautiful thing.

My prayer for today is that we may all consider our role in the relationships we are in. I pray that we begin to understand how we bring other people closer to God and that we are open to God using us in ways we did not think possible. I pray for husbands and wives and our intimately interwoven lives that were designed by God to bring Glory to Him.

Until We Meet Again,

Drea