We talked yesterday about living a lovely life. 1 Peter 3: 3-6 talks about living a BEAUTIFUL LIFE. It tells us about the women who lived “in the old time,” or as one translation says, “once upon a time.” Once upon a time, away back in history, women made themselves beautiful in a different way than now. But it is a way that is very precious to God. Let’s read about it in a few different translations so we can really get the picture:
New Century Version: “In this same way, the holy women who lived long ago and followed God made themselves beautiful, yielding to their own husbands.”
New Living Translation: “This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands.”
Are you getting the picture? Let me give you one more passage where the word “beauty” is mentioned SEVEN times! It’s the Barclay version: “Your BEAUTY must not be the superficial BEAUTY which depends on elaborate hair-styles and expensive jewellery and the wearing of fashionable clothes. No! Your BEAUTY must be the BEAUTY of your inner character and personality. It must consist of the BEAUTY of a gentle; and serene character, a BEAUTY which the years cannot wither, for in God’s sight that is what is really precious. This was BEAUTY with which once upon a time consecrated women, whose hopes were set on God, adorned themselves. They accepted the authority of their husbands. It was in this that Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him master.”
New English Bible: “Thus it was among God’s people in days of old: the women who fixed their hopes on him adorned themselves by submission to their husbands.” God never commands a husband to make his wife submit to him. God’s commands the husband to love his wife like his own body and as much as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25-33). It is something she does of her own volition, from her own heart, from her humble heart of submission to the Lord. Submission is an adorning. It is how we clothe ourselves, and it is an adorning that makes us beautiful.
Why is submission a beautiful thing? Because it is the same attitude of Jesus who submitted to His father’s will. Although Jesus was God He was willing to leave glory and become a man, humble Himself, even to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).
Do we have a submissive heart or a stubborn and rebellious heart? Are we making ourselves beautiful?
Blessings to you today,
Nancy Campbell