Good Morning Friends,
“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your
husbands 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. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,
such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead,
it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 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 3:1-6)
“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)
I think there are four words that form the
core of what God was teaching about marriage in this passage. These may not be
the words you see as key, but I think they are the most important words in the
passage. You can tell how important they are because you see them in the instructions
Peter gives both to wives and to husbands. Read the first section to wives and
the second section to husbands and see if you can find the words that are
repeated.
Here they are: “in the same way.”
God is saying that the very core of the
instructions to the husband and to the wife contain the same message! What God
is saying to them both is to put the interests of your partner ahead of your
own. And that is the key to a healthy and godly marriage.
God says wives are to do that by being
submissive. It’s about doing what is right for your husband, not what he
deserves. It’s about not considering your own interests, but rather trusting God
to take care of you and to work through your husband to do it.
God says husbands are to do that by treating
their wives with consideration and respect, and by recognizing your wife as a
partner with you in marriage. That’s doing what is right for her, no matter
what that means for what you want or what you need. Your focus is on her, not
on yourself.
In fact, that phrase is the key to every
human relationship. Healthy and godly human relationships are the product of
each person putting the needs of the other person first, before their own
needs.
Try it – see how it works in your own
relationships. Why not start at home!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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