How to be a Beautiful Woman

565.  "How to be a Beatiful Woman"             July 18, 2012
1 Peter 3-Part 3
This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.  1 Peter 3:5-6 NLT

LET IT GLOW

We have a pair of birds that often sit on top of the electric pole across the road or on top of the dead pine tree in our yard and sing up a storm. Well, they sing praises to Jesus, sounding like a yardful of various birds. (I wish a storm of rain would come.) I enjoy listening to them so much. Sometimes I whistle, but they don't mock me. I suppose they know the difference in a bird singing and a person's whistle. The point is, those two birds mock or imitate other songbirds.
Who do I imitate? Movie stars, singers, the rich, those street girls, or godly women of the Bible?

Since Peter talked about the women of old, referring to those in Old Testament times, inwardly beautiful godly women, we should imitate them, doing what they did since they pleased God, making ourselves beautiful. What did they do that made them beautiful?

• They trusted in God.
• They accepted their husband's authority. 
• They adorned themselves with the submission to their husband.
• They had a gentle and quiet spirit.
• Their manner of life, behavior, was pure.

These women demonstrated their faith and trust in God by being submissive.
It became improper dress for holy women to plait their hair (braids, curls, knots on top), wear excessive, bangling gold jewelry, and seductive clothing, since the harlots commonly did such.

Submission to her husband was so important to God that He made it a manifestation of "walking with the Lord," "being in the will of God," and "being filled with the Holy Spirit."  (Eph. 5:15-18)
(The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace)

Are my hairstyles, jewelry, and clothing honoring God and my husband? Or are they drawing attention to me? Who do I imitate-godly women or worldly women? Am I trusting God to lead my husband?


LET IT GROW

How was Sarah a good example for us women to follow?

• Sarah, Abraham's wife, submitted to her husband by moving all over the place, sometimes not knowing where he was going, even down to Egypt.
• She obeyed Abraham when he told her to tell a king that she was his sister, not his wife.
• Sarah honored and respected Abraham when she called him "lord." (see Genesis 12 and 18)

Did you know that we are like Sarah's daughters when we do the same things?
If it is hard for us to submit, obey, and respect our husband, ask God why that is. Tell the Lord Jesus about it and ask for His help in those areas. I know we all want to be a ravishing beauty in God's eyes, on the inside, that is.

Jesus submitted to His heavenly Father, shouldn't I?

LET IT GO

Pride, jealousy, bitterness, bossiness, all  have to go out the door, girls. Slam that door on them.

Allow the Holy Spirit to fill me with love and respect for my husband.

Submit and obey him. God is pleased when I do.

Make my husband king of our castle. Call him Prince, Sir, King, my lord. (Don't give him a heart attack, though.)

Be an imitator, not an immitation.  (Imitate the godly Biblical women, but be real, not an actress.)