Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series. I've been posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar -- a journal gifted me by some dear young friends It has a daily devotional one works through -- about a month's worth or so. It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I've been sharing here. Several readers have told me they're enjoying it, and I'm so thankful for that!
The Scripture for today is 1 Peter 3:4. Here's the assignment: "Read 1 Peter 3:4. Then reread it, pausing to reflect on each word or phrase. What insights do you gain from meditating on this practice in this way?" I chose to SOAP 1 Peter 3:3-4 as I considered this.
S= "Let [your adorning] not be that outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel,
"But let it be the hidden person of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1 Peter 3:3-4)
O= This section is titled in the Scofield Reference Bible as "Godly living in the home and in the church."
If we look back at verses 1-2, which speak of the testimony of a Christian wife to an unbelieving husband, we see that the "hidden person of the heart" also factors into our testimony. A wife's submission to her husband and her chaste conduct, both of which proceed from a heart yielded to the Lord, will help point an unbelieving husband to Him.
Concerning the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, Rand Hummel writes:
"People take notice of a meek spirit. Meekness toward God and man is seen in the gentle attitude that accepts disturbing and difficult situations without resisting, arguing, or pouting. Biblical meekness is often used to describe individuals who are totally dependent on God rather than their own strength. Those who are gentle do not quickly take things into their own hands but trust God's control, knowing that He wants the best for all. Meek attitudes are not argumentative. Gentleness and meekness are characteristics of Christ we should all desire."
Here's another quote from Rand Hummel that zeroes in on a quiet spirit:
"A quiet, unabrasive spirit or disposition is quite attractive, especially in our world today! No matter the stress, a meek and quiet attitude is always settled, still, and undisturbed. Too many grandmas are considered grumpy old ladies. A woman who seeks to grow beautiful internally will always be a joy to be around. A quiet spirit is a magnet to all family members."
(Quotes are from Rand Hummel's six-week Bible study of 1 Peter, Living in the Face of Ridicule.)
A= Things like elaborate makeup, extreme hairstyles, ostentatious jewelry and expensive clothing are all mere externals. Instead of majoring on these, God would have us to focus on the inward -- on the imperishable ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. This is what's really valuable to God and what truly makes a difference in our lives.
Warren Wiersbe wrote in Be Hopeful:
"A Christian woman who cultivates the beauty of the inner person will not have to depend on cheap externals."
God wants us as women to focus on the inward far more than the outward. Of course our appearance matters -- it's part of our testimony -- but our hearts are much more important. Our adorning should be the hidden person of the heart, with things that are not perishable. Things like the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is extremely precious.
P= "Lord, I pray that you will help me to pay far more attention to the inner person of the heart than I do to externals. Yes, our appearance is part of our testimony, and I do want to be sure my appearance is pleasing and glorifying to You. But I pray that You will help me to grow increasingly beautiful on the inside and not to ever become a grumpy old lady. It could be all too possible to have a nice appearance that hides an ugly disposition, and that certainly not would be pleasing to You. Help me to cultivate a meek and quiet spirit, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."
There is the Sunday Scripture for this week!
I ditto your prayer at the end. As we get older and have more aches and pains it is easy to give in to feeling a bit grumpy sometimes. I have to work on that because pain and also the inability to do the things I used to be able to do so easily are frustrating. But God, in His mercy, gives us blessings that brighten our days and help us to focus more on Him than on our own problems, and then we tend to feel much better. A cheerful countenance is much better than an artificial face and lots of bangles.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this study today. It was encouraging.