"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:3-4
This morning I was taking a deeper look into this favorite Bible verse. I looked up some of the words in the Greek translation and here I found:
imperishable beauty--uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable: of things
gentle---mild, gentle. Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control – i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness.
quiet-- quiet, tranquil, peaceful. Properly, quiet (still), i.e. steady (settled) due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness. Also ("calmly quiet") describes being "appropriately tranquil" by not misusing (or overusing) words that would stir up needless friction (destructive commotion).
This is so opposite of our culture. Like lost sheep, our culture is entangled in the false never ending web of external acceptance. The imperishable standard of inward beauty is oftentimes forsaken and sadly the fleeting beauty of outer appearance is reverenced. This should not be so, dear friends.We need to not be a culture that draws attention to oneself but instead one that seeks to give attention and glory to our God and to our Savior.
But not only are we Christian women attacked, but our daughters are too. Look around and find out who the popular teen idols are today. Have you looked on the cover of a teen magazine or watched a music video lately? It can be pretty scary. Be sure to keep open communication with your daughters about this and affirm in her traits that are godly. Be purposeful and don't be afraid to talk to them. Remember, Satan wants their souls and you are put here on earth to protect them. Don't feel like your hands are tied.
Dear mothers, do your best to be a role model to your daughters, you only have such a short time with them. Learn the word of God and uphold it. Cling to it and love it. Trust it and your daughters will learn by your example. Yes, they will need to find their way, they will make mistakes and falter like you. But this is why we need Christ. There is no one perfect. Not you. Not me. But we need to study the scriptures so we can share it, and meditate on it and allow it to transform our minds.
J. Bengel, 18th century theologian and teacher wrote:
"Gentle or meek has to do with the condition of the mind and the heart.
Quiet has to do with the tranquility rising from within, causing no disturbance from others.
Gentle or meek means not creating disturbances.
Quiet means bearing with tranquility the disturbance caused by others.
Gentle has to do with affection or feelings.
Quiet applies to words, countenance, and actions."
Let's ponder these words today and ask the Lord for wisdom in this area.
My prayer is that today we would pray and ask the Lord to develop and cultivate the fruit of the spirit in our lives and our daughter's lives, and that we would esteem and holdfast to the true definition of imperishable beauty and not falter in a corrupt world that tempts and misleads us greatly.
If you need more study on this topic, I highly recommend this book!
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4 comments:
This is a lifelong quest that begins the moment we rise every day! I have always treasured these verses with the desire to be transformed into Christ's Image-He is gentleness perfected!
I follow you on Pinterest, (Leah Rose at leahreflects ) You will hopefully find all my pins wholesome if you would like to follow me!
I agree! Thanks for visiting, Leah Rose! I will try to visit your board. :)
Many blessings...
I was so blessed the other day when my children were playing a game called Silly Sentences. The game teaches sentence parts while letting them have fun making silly sentences. They put together a sentence and yelled "This sounds like Mommy & Daddy!" Then they read the sentence that was made: "The gentle woman kisses the fast man." (My husband was a very successful track runner and football player.) Though it was funny, it encouraged me tremendously to think that my children would think that "gentle" is a fitting word for me! There are so many times when I get frustrated and feel anything but gentle, yet God in His mercy is allowing my children see beyond my mistakes.
Thank you so much my dear. This post is so timely. God bless you and our country!
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