By Lady Theophilus
In 1 Peter 3 we find instructions for the woman who desires to live a Christian life. There are several notable things listed, but I will focus on only two verses, I Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV), “(3) Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—(4) rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”
Let’s look at verse four a little closer, “A gentle and quiet spirit”. (Old King James says, “meek” instead of gentle.) There are several things that “meek and quiet” indicate about the woman or girl:
1. This person is not calling attention to herself.
2. She does not desire to have her own way.
3. She is at peace: resting and trusting God as sovereign, and trusting those over her, such as parents/husband.
4. She is submissive, not only being obedient to authorities, but also fully supporting their decisions.
5. She is humble, willing to be corrected without getting upset.
In short, she is not living for herself, because her heart has been transformed to beauty by the presence of the Holy Spirit in her heart. She is meek, not seeking to be noticed for “goodness”, but realizing her needs and weaknesses.
If the above attributes are true, obedience to verse three will be natural: (Hereafter numbers correlate with above numbering.)
1. Because she is secure in Christ, she will not be seeking the attraction of people through her clothing. There are two opposing evils that a girl could fall into concerning the desire for clothing/body to be noticed: to be desired in an immodest way (or to fit in with those around her), or to be praised for her piety – “That girl is SO modest!”
2. Because she isn’t her own boss, she will submit to the standards God and her authorities have set for her in the matter of clothing and adornment.
Also, these benefits will be present:
3. Because she is quiet spirited, she will not be impatient or discontented. She won’t be worried about when something will ever happen or longing for what she doesn’t have. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) When a problem arises, she knows she can bring it to Christ, or work through it with her authorities, without getting upset.
If she is meek and quiet-spirited, she will respond properly to authorities:
4. & 5. Proverbs 15:5 says, “A fool despises [her] father's instruction, But [s]he who receives correction is prudent.” Being told “how things are going to be” or being corrected in big or small things is not fun, and it’s not easy to have the right attitude during it. Yet, we are called to be receptive to guidance and correction, not to be rebellious or ignore the help, going on in the wrong direction. If our parents are explaining something to us, or correcting lack of knowledge or wrong behavior, we need to be aware of our own need to grow/change/act on it, and not be touchy (our “feelings getting hurt”).
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