1 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 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 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. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”
Being under the authority of someone else goes against our grain, doesn't it? As a woman who's read the Bible for quite a few years, I always grimaced at the thought of "Wives, you must submit to your husbands." As an independent teenager, I thought how unfair! But what I want to point out today are the first four words, "in the same way." In the same way as what? We just read yesterday that Christ Himself was under the authority of the Father. Remember that "when he suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God." Why? Because He was under the authority of the Father, and if the Father allowed it, Christ was willing to receive it, whatever it was. So, those four words "in the same way" meant a lot to me this morning.
But it gets even better from my perspective! Look at verse 7, which says again, "In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives...she (the wife) is your equal partner in God's gift of new life." And the consequences: "If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard." We are to honor and respect one another. In God's sight, ALL people are equal. We get caught up in the wording, thinking only women are to "submit", yet in verse 8, it says, "All of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds." This includes men toward women AND women toward men.
When you look at the totality of this letter, however, the main focus is not men or women, but rather how ALL of us should live, honoring Christ. I was challenged to read this line this morning,
"Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it." If I ever wonder what God wants me to do, here it is. Pay people back with a blessing, God? Gosh, it is so hard for me to do this. I'd much prefer to talk about that person when they're not around! But this is what God has called us to do, and He will BLESS us for it! Can we trust that promise?
Here's the final promise:
For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”
In words and actions, seek to do right. The eyes of the Lord will watch over you, and His ears will hear your prayers as you seek to follow and honor Him. That's not just a promise for some people, that's for all of us! That is my prayer today. Lord, I just want to do right by You. I want to honor You. In everything I do.
Yesterday, I had to seek some peace and have a conversation with someone that I was dreading! Absolutely dreading this conversation. But I wanted peace so badly (and as I'm being reminded this morning, that is the right thing to want). Can I tell you that God flooded me with a peace and a love for this person that can only have come from Him?! Our conversation lasted over two hours, and I think it's safe to say that we both left feeling understood and with an increased appreciation and love for the other person. That's not OUR human nature, my friend. That is God intervening His peace in the midst of my turmoil; His love in the midst of my bitterness. The Lord honored my desire for peace and my actions in seeking it.
Do you need to make peace or do right by someone? A spouse, perhaps you haven't been honoring them the way our scripture today says you should? A friend? A family member? A co-worker? You might get nervous, as I was in the beginning, but I think you will find that seeking peace is never the wrong thing to do. It does take work (as verse 12 says), but it is always worth it.
As God says, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days...search for peace, and work to maintain it."
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