Instead, it should
be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:4
I believe we should always look our best, but Peter teaches
us here that our beauty should not come from outer adornment. Our beauty should
come from within. In other words, it is what’s inside that really matters.
At the time Peter was writing this passage, somewhere
between A.D. 64 and 67, the Romans were in control. A great emphasis was put
upon outer appearance. Women spent a lot of time on their hair. Women would
build their hair up. They wore jewelry in it. If you look at pictures from the
Roman Empire era, you can see how much emphasis was placed on outer beauty.
Think about this. Would you rather deal with a glamour queen
or someone who has a sweet nature? Someone who is kind and helpful to you?
Someone who displays compassion and gentleness?
Gentleness and quietness are things I yearn for these days.
A peace runs through me when I think of gentleness. Our hurried lives and our
own mismanagement of time and organization cause confusion.
Maybe some of the confusion and busyness in our lives has
caused frustration rather than gentleness. Maybe we are spending too much time
on shopping for things we feel will make us look better to the world. People are
more impressed with a gentle and quiet spirit. As Peter tells us, gentleness
and quietness are of great worth in God’s sight.
Are you spending so much time on your outer appearance that
you are neglecting to spend time with God. A gentle and quiet spirit can only
be developed by closeness to God.
Gentleness and quietness come from a disciplined strength
that leads to great blessings.
A gentle and quiet spirit brings into our lives a beauty
that never fades.
Georgia Andrus
No comments:
Post a Comment