In the same way, you wives must accept the
authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News,
your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by
observing your pure and reverent lives. Don't be concerned about the outward
beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should
clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how
the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted
the authority of their husbands. 1 Peter 3:1-5
A lot of women have a difficult time with
these verses. Accepted the authority of their
husbands…God wants us to have order in our lives as well as respect for
others and for Him. Where does that begin? Within each person’s heart there is
a longing for love and respect. In my opinion, that begins with Christ—with submitting
to Him. Within a marriage relationship there should be a mutual respect…and a
reverence for each other. Mamma may call the shots…and determine the time and
place for things in the home…but who helps her? Her sweet husband who is
hopefully guided by Christ Jesus our Lord.
For a husband is the head of his wife as
Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of His body, the church. As
the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in
everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the
cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious
church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be
holy and without fault. Ephesians 5:23-27
Without fault—that is beautiful. So many
people today are so critical of others—we want others to be perfect…when in actuality,
I think, we want to be perfect…or to
be seen as perfect. But no one is perfect!
So be careful how you live. Don't live like
fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these
evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to
do. Ephesians 5:15-17
For women, as well as men, it is good to
have someone to look up to…an example of holiness. Paul wrote some great words
of wisdom and advice to a young Gentile Christian, Titus.
As for you, Titus, promote the kind of
living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise
self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound
faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to
live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy
drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women
must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live
wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to
their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same
way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an
example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do
reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that
your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and
have nothing bad to say about us. Titus 2:1-8
Integrity. That is the key to a good life
with healthy relationships. A key to the beauty within.
Prayer
~ Lord Jesus, Thank you for Christian friends who are wonderful examples of
devotion to You. Help all of us to…be careful how we live. Not like fools, but like those who are wise. May
we make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Not acting
thoughtlessly, but understanding what You want us to do. Ephesians 5:15-17.
Happy
Birthday, Sylvia O.
I
am so grateful for your friendship, service to our church family and
your
example of dedication to our Lord. Blessings, dear one!
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
No comments:
Post a Comment