Hindered Prayers

After addressing wives in several verses, Peter turns his attention to husbands. He writes:

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. – 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)

Notice a couple of things about this verse. First, he uses the phrase, “in the same way.” In the same way as what? In the same way as Christians are to respect government, slaves are to respect their masters and wives are to respect their husbands, so are husbands to honor and be considerate of their wives. Second, Peter says that Christian husbands are not lords over their wives. Jesus is Lord over us all and He is the only Lord we have. Rather, Peter says that wives are partners and co-heirs with their husbands. Third, when he uses the term “weaker partner” it only refers to a tendency to be physically weaker. It has nothing to do with being weaker in any other sense of the word. Fourth, there is a spiritual consequence for mistreating your wife. Your prayers will be hindered. Don’t treat your wife like your servant or a burden. Honor and cherish her as the special gift God gave to you until death parts you.

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Trusting In God’s Plan For The Family

Peter wrote that Christ following wives should concentrate more on inner beauty than outward adornment. He said that the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit never fades. He gives an example from Israel’s history to illustrate what he means. He wrote:

For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. – 1 Peter 3:5-6 (NIV)

This does NOT mean that husbands should demand that their wives call them, “lord.” It means that wives should honor and respect their husbands because they love and put their hope and trust in God. God has created an order in the household and He put the husband in charge. It does not mean that his wife is subservient to or lesser than her husband and he should not treat her that way. It means that she trusts God’s plan for the family.

Winning Over Their Husbands

In 1 Peter 2, Peter addressed submission of Christians to governing authorities and slaves to masters. In chapter 3, he first turns his attention to wives and husbands. He addresses a very specific situation here. He wrote:

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. – 1 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV)

What is a Christian wife of an unbelieving spouse supposed to do? In Peter’s day, a wife was expected to take the religion of her husband. What if she became a Christian and he did not? He might become upset or angry and mistreat her. Peter says that she should be a faithful, loving wife who respects her husband. She should practice her faith with reverence and live a pure life. This way, she might win her husband to the Lord, which is the most important goal of all.

Hard To Do What God Asks

When it comes to our relationships, we are called to show respect to everyone. This isn’t easy. We live in a world where we’re told that if someone doesn’t show you respect, you shouldn’t respect them. Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Peter says that respect begins with us. He wrote:

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. – 1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

God asks us to do some pretty tough things. There are things He asks of us that we don’t want to do. Respecting everyone? That’s hard because we may believe that not everyone is worthy of respect. Love the family of believers? That’s a little easier. Fearing God? That’s obvious. We know we need to honor God. Honor the emperor? Wait a minute! What if I don’t agree with what the leaders of our country are doing? What if I don’t like the person in that kind of a role? There are more important things than our political leanings. We must not ruin our Christian testimony by putting politics above our faith. Honor God first by showing proper respect to everyone, even if it is hard.

Living In Reverence

We are only passing through this life and we do not belong to this world. We are strangers here who are headed to a better place. We are headed toward our true home in Heaven. So how should we live here on earth? Peter writes:

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially,​​ live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. – 1 Peter 1:17 (NIV)

We need to keep our eyes on Heaven while we are passing through here on earth. God will judge everyone impartially, meaning that He doesn’t play favorites. Just because you are a child of God does not mean that you won’t be judged for your actions. The fact that you are God’s child just means that the verdict is “Not guilty.” We all would do well to remember today that we will face judgment someday and we need to live our lives with reverent fear and respect for God, our Father and Judge.

Husbands And Wives

The Bible calls for a special relationship between husbands and wives that sometimes creates controversy and hurt feelings. Paul says:

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. – Colossians 3:18 (NIV)

A wife is to respect her husband because she loves and submits to God first. This is God’s expectation of a wife in her relationship to her husband. Was Paul a male chauvinist pig? Not at all! In the next verse he says:

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  – Colossians 3:19 (NIV)

A husband who loves his wife sacrificially and unconditionally and is patient with her will find that he has a wife who respects him. The husband’s job is not to make his wife submit. The husband’s job is to love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). How did Jesus love the church? He died for the church. Husbands, if you are not willing to die to yourself daily for your wife, you are not loving her the way God intends for you to do.

The Beginning Of Wisdom

Psalm 111 (NLT)

¹ Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with his godly people.
² How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.
³ Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
⁴ He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
⁵ He gives food to those who fear him;
he always remembers his covenant.
⁶ He has shown his great power to his people
by giving them the lands of other nations.
⁷ All he does is just and good,
and all his commandments are trustworthy.
⁸ They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
⁹ He has paid a full ransom for his people.
He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever! – Psalm 111 (NLT)

Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise to the Lord that ends with a familiar verse telling us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  So many people think that they’re so smart and so wise, but they have no fear or respect for God.  The Hebrew word for “fear” means terror, respect or worship.  Reverence/respect is what is in mind here in Psalm 111.  There are two key aspects to respecting God that are found in this psalm.  First, the psalmist describes the deeds and works of the Lord.  Verses 2-7 speaks of the wonderful works of the Lord.  The second aspect of respect refers to the commandments of the Lord (verses 7-8).  If we are going to respect God, we must respect His commands and His Word.  Jesus said that if His followers love Him, they will obey His commandments (John 14:15).  Respect and obedience are intertwined.  If I do not fear the Lord, I will not obey Him.  I will not care what He says in His Word.  I will not do what He says.  But that is foolishness!  That is like buying a new yet unfamiliar smartphone.  If I get a new phone, but I don’t read the instruction manual and do what it says, I am a fool!  I will not be able to enjoy and use the features of the phone without reading the instruction manual.  Or if I go on vacation to an unfamiliar part of the country and I don’t read or follow the map, I will get lost and I am a fool!  So it goes with life.  God has given us a wonderful instruction manual and map in His Word to get to where we really want to be, our Heavenly home.  If I do not read and obey the manual or read and follow the map, I am a fool.  The wise man is the one who reads and follows the instructions that God has given in the Bible.  May we have a reverent fear and respect of the Lord today to read His Word and do what it says.

PRAYER: Lord God, I need more fear of You in my life. I sometimes take You for granted. Help me to honor You with my life today in the things that I say, think and do. Amen.