I want to wish my wife Happy Anniversary! 29 years. Wow. How did I manage to make such a good choice? Clearly this was the work of God. Every year you become more beautiful to me, daughter of God. You make me so much more than I could ever be alone. You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride.
Your beauty … is of great worth in God’s sight. — 1 Peter 3:3,4 NIV
I’ve been working on developing my own paraphrase for portions of the New Testament. I don’t know if this will go anywhere or not, but, today, in honor of my wife, I would like to share with you my paraphrase of 1 Peter 3:1-6.
1 Peter 3:1-2
Wives, is your husband an outsider to the faith we share? Look at it this way. You might be the one to attract your husband to the Lord – not with fancy arguments, not with nagging, but rather with the powerful persuasion of a pure life. This is one of the reasons why you respect your husband and follow his leadership, even if he is an unbeliever.
1 Peter 3:3-4
After all, what makes a godly woman so attractive? How is it that her beauty shines through even when she’s wearing an old sweatshirt or her hair is a “mess”? Let me tell you her secret. Her beauty comes from deep within. Deep inside she is at peace – so much so that even the most fragile person is safe with her. Do you think you are the only one who notices how lovely she is? No! God Himself sees her beauty and puts great value on it.
1 Peter 3:5-6
Holy women in the past discovered this beauty secret. Because God was the solution to all their troubles, their beauty didn’t fade as the storms of life blew past. Sarah, for example, was legendary for her lasting beauty. She respected and followed her husband’s leadership, not out of fear, but from a place of peace and strength. Follow her formula, and her beauty secret can be your own.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
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Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.