In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the (Christian) message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Your beauty should not consist of outward things (like) elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes.
Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart which is the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes.
For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.
1 Peter 3:1-6 HCSB
Dwelling
This week we will be focusing on the first two verses and specifically how we submit and respond to our husbands and how our lives exhibit pure, reverent and holy behavior. If it sounds like a tough task well that is because it is. However, it can be done not through our own ability but through The Spirit.
Submission & Responsive
The main message here was to women whose husbands were not Christians and how to deal with that situation. An unlikely concept to us women but the action to be displayed here is to keep our mouths shut. I just think it is so funny God would give us an amazing ability to speak so well and then tell us not to use it. I chuckle. If any of you have gone through this you can attest that God's way is better than our way. I am going to add a beatitude here. Blessed is the women who learns to submit. Some of us have a harder time learning this than others. I have realized that once we learn it...we need to re-learn it over and over again. I have also submitted more willingly in certain areas than in others. So if you think you have the submission thing under control I would pray for God to show you any areas where you may not realize God is calling you to submit.
By this point some of you may be wondering why is the word responsive up there it isn't in the verse at all? Instead of using the word submit in The Message version of the Bible it says this,
The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs.
Now I don't like the idea of completely getting rid of the word submit but I do like what it adds to this concept. Being responsive to their needs, which would include emotional, physical, spiritual. I have found the more responsive I am to his needs the more responsive he is to mine. What a blessing this is! We aren't to tell them to do it our behavior is to be an example of it.
When he needs forgiveness I am to be responsive to that.
When he needs to feel loved and appreciated I am to be responsive to that.
When he needs fed I am to be responsive to that.
Oh how I pray you and I will be blessed with the opportunity this week or this month to be responsive to our husbands. We can't just do this one because the variable is our husbands, but we need to be ready to submit and respond in our reaction to our husbands.
Pure, Reverent, and Holy
I feel like I have a grasp on submitting and being responsive to my husbands needs, but these three words have me feeling very inadequate and intimidated. We are looking at
when they observe your pure and reverent lives. HCSB
by your life of holy beauty. The message
The word pure is also used in James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
James 1:5 also tells us if we ask in full faith this wisdom will be given to us.
So let me ask you are your actions pure? Are they peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, can people see the good fruit of your actions? Do they show no partiality and are without hypocrisy. How can our husbands be won without a word if we are hypocrites and partial. Do they see that we are gentle and kind out in public but behind closed doors we are angry and awful? If we are merciful our husbands will see the fruit through our children. Are you peaceable toward your husband? Are you easy to forgive?
So your actions may appear to be pure but what about your thoughts? Have you learned to bridle your tongue but can't control your thoughts. The Bible is telling us if our thoughts and actions are pure, holy, and reverent God will work in our husbands on our behalf. Talk about a humble kind of power.
He can do what we can't.
He can control what we can't.
Where are you unholy and impure in your thoughts or actions? Take them to God. Maybe you don't know the answer to that question. Ask God to reveal where your husband may not see the best side of you. We can't do this on our own only with The Spirit living inside of us can we accomplish God's will. This week may be less about our actions and more about how we act. Less about action and more about reaction. No more impulsive, anxious, loud, and unmerciful mothers. Let's heed James' advice and pray for opportunities to exhibit the favorable behavior so it will stick in our minds and we will never forget it.
Dwell and Pray about what God will have you do this week to reflect these biblical principles in your life. I will do the same and tell you what some of my ideas are tomorrow.
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