Beautiful Motives in Marriage

Read 1 Peter 3:1-7
Title in NIV: Godly relationships in marriage.

I don't believe Paul is saying, "Don't wear make-up, don't wear jewelry, don't braid your hair." I think Paul is saying, "Don't make these things a priority in your character." People will, of course, see the outside first. Aim to make your character stand out more than your clothes, physical appearance, hair and jewelry. Aim to make your gentle and quiet spirit shine through the exterior. Let humility and strength, love and acceptance be what people remember when you are gone. Our biggest challenge in life is to become more and more spiritually minded and less and less worldly.

Christians define beauty differently than the world does. We know God made each one and that he loves each one unconditionally. How shallow for someone to regard hair, make-up, jewels and the like as more important than the inner beauty of love, humility, faithfulness and forgiveness. God made us exactly the way he wanted us. He gave us our hair color, our eye color, our skin type, our body stature and our personalities. Why mess with perfection? Everyone is perfect: God made you. I wonder if God ever looks at us and says, "Who are you? I didn't give you that eye color. I didn't give you that hair color. I didn't give you that tan. Do you not like what I, GOD, have given you?"

Be careful not to allow these material things to take time away from God. And make sure your motives for enjoying these things are not to impress others, look younger or keep up appearances for a social status. Next time you get your hair or nails done or buy or receive a piece of jewelry, thank God for allowing you to enjoy them. Ask God to help you put Him before material possessions. Remember the saying, "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also." What you put your money, time and energy into, there will your heart be also.
Think about it: Do you spend more time, money and energy on shopping, hair, nails, ect. a week or reading, studying and spending time and money on others? Getting pampered is not a bad thing, but allowing these things to take the place of God is.

I could go on and on. The point is: have pure servant-like motives and not self-centered, materialistic and selfish motives. God gives us things to enjoy like chocolate and salons, but not at the cost of loosing our focus from Him.

Vs. 5 and 6 says that women made themselves beautiful by having a gentle and quiet spirit. They were also submissive to their husbands. The way you treat your husband is a reflection of your true feelings toward God and His authority in your life. In other words, all of us have an authority over us- men and women alike. How you react to that authority (be it a husband, a boss, an elder in the church)shows your attitude toward authority in general. If you have a problem with people in authority, you more than likely have a problem with God's authority in your life. Do you deny what God is calling you to do and planning for your life?

Vs. 7 Women have to accept the fact that we were created as the help meet, the weaker partner'. NOT weak in terms of knowledge or contributing to family, society, church or career, weak in terms of hierarchy of leadership. When sin came into the world, God gave man 'rule over his wife'. God intended for the man to be the spiritual leader because, after all, Eve messed up. Examples of this are numerous in the bible. There are examples of the husband being evil in the sight of the Lord and he and his whole household were destroyed (Num. 16). He spiritually lead his family to destruction. There are examples of husbands believing for the first time and he and all his household were baptized (Acts 11:14; 16:13-15;31). He lead his household to be saved. We, as wives, should allow our husbands to be the spiritual leaders God wants them to be. Think of your motives in all situations.

Blessings to you!