1 Peter 3:1-7 

¹Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own 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, ²when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴Rather, 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. ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ⁷Husbands, 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.

Basketball Legend

It is very inspiring to read biographies of great individuals and learn from them. Most celebrities have lavish lifestyle that others could envy. Do you know a basketball legend who maintained a very simple lifestyle despite his superstar status? Larry Bird. It was reported that he comes from a poor family, and they acquired everything owned through hard work. He earned millions as basketball player, and bought a simple but decent house. His teammates who received smaller salary bought fancy cars, expensive houses and jewelries. He advised them to save for their future, but they laughed at him.

Few years after retirement, his teammates who laughed at his frugal lifestyle, filed for bankruptcy. Some of them approached him to borrow money. He confessed, “It’s heartbreaking for me to reject them. I warned them, but they laughed at me.”

Our behavior and outlook in life will certainly be significant factor for success or failure in life. Someone said, “Satisfied life is better than successful life because success is measured by others and satisfied life is measured by your own soul, mind and heart.” Sadly, those former basketball players went bankrupt because they satisfied their self with luxurious things. They may have misinterpreted satisfaction as living in luxury. Materialism may offer satisfaction temporarily but not completely.

Can simple things satisfy you? Many individuals choose temporal satisfaction with luxury. Our eternally contented God offers eternal satisfaction to everyone. Really?

How do you personally interpret the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23? ²²The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The phrase, “Against such things there is no law,” suggests that when inspired by the Holy Spirit, you have freedom with gladness and peace, and nothing prevents you. People who are patient, kind, and good to others are satisfied with their life. People who are gentle, have self-control and faithful to their spouse, are contented with what they have. When inspired by the Holy Spirit, there’s satisfaction in life and reverence to God.

1.  Reverence

¹Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own 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, ²when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 

The term “reverence” can be interpreted also as “respect” or “reverent fear.”

Submission to their husband is biblical reverence attributed to respectful wives.

Godly wives gladly submit to their husband without hesitation or reservation. Consequently, they are also respectful to other people. Of course, this godly instruction of submission to husband can be gladly obeyed by respectful wives, but it cannot easily sit well in the mind of anyone who rejects the Scripture as manual for godly behavior.

When Apostle Peter instructed wives to submit to their husbands, did he expect all wives to gladly agree with him? Godly instructions are gladly obeyed by godly people.

Originally Apostle Peter wrote his letter to exiled believers scattered in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Persecution forced believers to live in foreign land.  Some women may have married unbelievers as survival compromise in a foreign land.

Truly, marriage is not always honeymoon time. But for believers, marriage is also an opportunity to testify the gospel of Christ. So, when godly wives gladly submit to their unbelieving husband, they practically testify to the work of the Holy Spirit of God in their life. Submission to husband then is not supposed to be done by human effort. If godly wives expect that their behavior serves as testimony of their faith in Christ, they should seriously and sincerely pray to be empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Before you violently argue, listen carefully. This Scriptural instruction for wives to submit to their husbands is godly command that cannot be readily accomplished by human effort. Husbands: If you command your wives to submit to you, expect them to resist or disregard you. Why? Resistance to godly command is human instinct.

Wives: When you think that your husband is not worthy of your respect because of his unpleasant behavior, then pray for stronger faith and godly wisdom. Remember that submission to husbands is godly command, and you need godly help to submit.

Personally, how do you interpret Ephesians 5:22-24, ²²Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

When we obey godly command, we obey God. Submission to husband is godly command; therefore, when wives gladly submit to their husband, they gladly obey God, and not because their husbands are worthy or not worthy of their submission.

Do you readily agree that God included blessings in every command he gives us? Submission to husband is godly command, and God included blessings, too. Godly wives who gladly submit to their husbands are very cheerful also, why? They are blessed in many ways; in contrast, disrespect to husband had caused many troubles in marriage.

Divorce

Celebrities getting divorce become public story and gossip. That is a negative part of being popular figure; the media quickly publish even private matters like divorce.

Readers and observers readily share their unsolicited advice and opinion. It may ruin their day, or worst, it may cause them stress or depression if celebrities seriously listen to unpleasant public discussions. Divorce should have been their last option but many think that it is their only option for marriage failure.

Is it possible to avoid divorce? How do you personally interpret what Jesus Christ had declared in Luke 18:27? ²⁷What is impossible with man is possible with God.

It is impossible to avoid divorce if dependent on human effort. Why? Everyone wants to have their right. But holy women in the Scripture submitted themselves to their own husbands, and it is considered right in the eyes of the Lord.

2.  Right

³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴Rather, 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. ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Elaborate hairstyles, jewelries and beauty treatment are a billion-dollar industry in the history of mankind. Women of the past, present, and most probably in the future, want to be beautiful. And why not? To be appreciated and get admiration they desire, beauty is additional factor. Who does not want to be appreciated or admired?

But who are we to judge others? We should be more attentive to our lifestyle rather than discussing how others behave. It advises in 1 Corinthians 4:5, ⁵Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

If we are conscious that Christ may return anytime sooner, we behave much sincerely in godly manner. Of course, we make sure that our appearance is presentable and not cause anyone to stumble, right? We should be attentive to our inner being, our behavior and attitude. God rewards behaviors and attitudes acceptable to him.

When it emphasized that the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight, it implies that God observes who is worthy of reward.  Hence, we encourage everyone, not just ladies, to wear decent clothes in church building.

For godly wives who desire to serve God, it’s best advice to practice submission to husband also. Godly wives can practically exhibit their submission to Christ as Lord when they cheerfully submit to their husbands and when God blesses them all the more.

Sarah the wife of Abraham was blessed to be called the mother of godly women, and her name has been mentioned as biblical example of submission to husband in the Scripture. In comparison, Eve, the first woman in human history, acted differently.

The Fall

It narrated in Genesis 3:1-5, ¹The serpent  said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ²The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Eve was deceived when she acted and decided on her own. Her husband was with her, but she did not seek his opinion. Adam was listening to the conversation, but he never said anything; he was a passive observer and never questioned when his wife gave her the forbidden fruit and ate it also.

Such is a biblical example of the limitation of human mind. We cannot know all possible effects of our action. The Scripture was written as our manual for godly behavior acceptable to God. Things acceptable to God are best for us, even if we think differently.

It says in John 3:27, ²⁷A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.

How do you interpret that? There are things that God allows and there are things that God forbids. If we dream big for ourselves, God helps us achieve it, if it is within his will. But if God decides not to give it, it remains a dream. What is it that you wish for yourself to become? Make sure to seek the blessing of God, first and foremost.

Husbands: Here is the open secret of answered prayer. Respect your wives!

3.  Respect

⁷Husbands, 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.

The term “considerate” is properly interpreted as “knowledgeable” on how to be responsible as godly husband. It’s more than head knowledge. It’s experiential result of your intimate relationship as husband and wife. Relationship becomes intimate as you learn how your partner reacts or responds to your behavior, and how you care much more. Additionally, consider your own reaction. Do you appreciate her response or not?

Wives could be glad to hear their husband say, “I love you!” And that could just be the icing of the cake, so to say. But respect for your partner is best practical exhibit of love and care. Consider also that your wife is the daughter of the King of kings. So, how do you imagine the reaction of her heavenly Father, the King of kings toward you as you would be considerate to his adopted daughter, your wife?

Certainly, our heavenly Father, the King of kings will be very glad to grant your prayers because nothing will hinder your prayers when you treat your wife with dignity.

Burned Pie

You may have heard this story. Their grown-up children came home to celebrate their father’s birthday. Food was served, but the favorite pie of their father was burned. Their mother served it anyway. Their children were amazed that their father ate it with gusto and delight and never complained about the burned pie.

Their children asked, “Father, why did you eat burned food and never complain about it? We can easily order from food delivery; and it’s your birthday!”

The father responded, “Before you arrived, your mother had been working all day long, preparing for my birthday. It is my best way to express my gratitude for her to eat what she serves me. I choose to be considerate and accept that she can’t be great some of the times, but she’s great most of the times. And it helps our marriage grow stronger.”

Give and take is practical proof of respect between husband and wife. Agree?

How do you personally interpret what it says in Ephesians 5:28-33?  ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Your love for yourselves husbands, is practically proven by respect for your wives.   Wives: Respect of husbands is best exhibited in your submission to them.

And the celebration of the Lord’s Supper reminds us of the love of God for us. Our response is to expect that Christ will return sooner to take us into his heaven.

And as we wait for his return, we are reminded of our mandate to proclaim his gospel.

Maranatha! May our Lord Jesus Christ come sooner than later!

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