Day 2379 – OUR STRANGE LIFE – THE GIVE AND TAKE OF DOMESTIC HARMONY 1 PETER 3:1-7

Welcome to Day 2379 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2379 – OUR STRANGE LIFE – THE GIVE AND TAKE OF DOMESTIC HARMONY 1 PETER 3:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 05/12/2024 Our Strange Life – The Give and Take of Domestic Harmony 1 Peter 3:1-7 Last week, we realized that as Christ followers, we will not only be the recipients of unjust treatment at times but that there are benefits in bearing the brunt of that treatment in a message titled, Pressing on Even Though Ripped Off. This week, we are shifting from submitting to government authorities and employers to how we should practice mutual submission in our home in a message titled, The Give-and-Take of Domestic Harmony. I know some of you no longer have a spouse, so this message may not be directly applicable, but use Peter's lessons to help friends and family that may need your advice. Today’s passage is 1 Peter 3:1-7, on page 1889 of your Pew Bibles. I will read it today from the NLT because it focuses more clearly on keywords. 1 In the same way, your wives must accept your husbands' authority. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives. 3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 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. 7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should| so your prayers will not be hindered. Just like it is impossible to drive a car with two steering wheels and each spouse trying to wrestle control from the other, a better analogy for a healthy marriage is that of a row boat, where both must paddle in harmony to make any progress. Having been married to Paula for forty-five years this August, I've become a realist about marriage— not an idealist. While overall, our marriage has been rock-solid and, yes, even pleasant, there have been years of learning and growth, which includes difficulty, delight, discovery, heartaches, disappointments, hurtful times, and ecstatic moments together. These experiences have made our marriage stronger. The apostle Peter, too, spoke about marriage, but not from some remote prophet's cave or in a scholar's ivory tower.| No, Peter was married. His wife accompanied him on many of his travels (1 Cor. 9:5). They were co-workers in the Kingdom of God. Peter knew firsthand the struggles all married couples endure. Like a diamond in a platinum...