Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.
You know God has a sense of humor when my week of devotions include instructions on marriage. I can hear my wife laughing now. I will give it a shot though. Remember, grace is a virtue you should practice and now might be a good time.
We know Peter was married because Matthew describes Jesus healing his mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14-15. So, we hope he knows a thing or two about this. He gives some very sound advice to wives as it relates to outer beauty versus inner beauty he calls “the hidden person of the heart”. He goes on to describe this inner beauty as “precious in the sight of God”. I love the adjectives that Peter uses. The word “precious” recalls things of value; things you cherish; someone beloved. That is how God sees wives’ inner beauty. Peter also uses the word respectful. Did you know that in Ephesians when Paul is giving charge to husbands and wives, he does not instruct wives to love their husbands? He instructs them to respect them. In the King James Version, it actually says, “Wives, see to it, that you respect your husband”. You don’t even get the chance to say that because he is a dunderhead, I don’t respect him. The scripture says to find a way to respect him, and your very actions may be what turns him from his ignorance.
Husbands, don’t think you are getting off easy. Verse 7 instructs us to treat our wives as equals, honoring them lest our prayers be hindered. Did you catch that, guys? God is basically telling us that if you are not going to love and honor your wives, don’t bother coming to me. I’m not even going to hear your prayers. Wow. That is strong. And just to close the loop, in Ephesians, Paul does tell men to love their wives and be willing to give their lives up for them. Now I know men who would, without hesitation, lay down their lives for their wives. Most of us would lay down our life for someone else’s wife but that is not really the charge here. What Paul is asking men to do is to every day be willing to put their wives' needs above yours. Die to yourself each day. It's a little harder when you put it that way. But here is what I have figured out, I don’t need any hindrances to my prayer request to God. I need His full attention.
Peter ends this chapter as I mentioned previously, encouraging believers to refrain from responding as the world would respond when mistreated. We already know that the world is hostile toward believers and during this particular period of time, Peter knew what was coming for them. Let our response be an imitation of Jesus’s response when He, the just, gave Himself for the unjust. One of my former bosses taught me early in my career the difference and the advantages of responding to something versus reacting to something. He taught me to refrain from a quick and not well-thought-out reaction and to respond in a well-thought-out and often delayed manner. This has served me well over the years and allowed me NOT to say some things that I really wanted to say. Most of them are not-so-good things. Would have made me look just like my offender. Thank you, God, that you put good Godly men in my life to instruct me. God certainly knew I needed the help.
Today, allow the negative comments that come your way to just roll off. It will make you feel more like Jesus and after all, that is exactly what God is trying to do.
Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- What defensive strategy can you deploy that will soften the negatives in your life?
Family Devo: 1 Peter 3
By: Katie Curtis
When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
Head
In 1 Peter 3, Peter spends some time talking to husbands and wives about how they should treat each other in a respectful, loving way that brings honor to God and shows His love. Peter also gives encouragement for believers to hold onto when they are being persecuted and mistreated because of their faith in Jesus. The verse that really sticks out to me in this chapter has to do with the definition of true beauty.
Heart
Every day we are bombarded with messages from social media, TV, our friends, and sometimes even our parents, teachers, and coaches that our value lies in our appearance and what we are able to accomplish. This lie has been around for a long time, and Peter addresses it in 1 Peter 3: 3-4 which states, “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.” There’s nothing wrong with getting dressed up, but, as we all know, trends change and beauty fades. There is also nothing wrong with winning the game or earning a 100 on a test, but sometimes we all lose the game or make a bad grade. There’s no solid foundation there, but there is a solid foundation when we find our identity and worth in God and what He says about us.
Thankfully, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart,” 1 Samuel 16:7. Even more amazing than that is the fact that Jesus takes our selfish and sinful hearts and makes them into something beautiful - He changes us to look more like Him. So no matter what others say, remember that God loves and values you. Like Ephesians 2:10 says, you are “God’s masterpiece.”
Hands
What are you tempted to value more than what God says has true worth? Appearance? Wealth? Achievement? Intelligence? Popularity? Followers? Ask God to help you value what He values. Think of someone you know who has “a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Send them an encouraging message.
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving and accepting me just as I am. Please make me more like You and help me value the things that You value. I love You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.