Mothers And Wives

Mothers And Wives

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your 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, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

1 Peter 3:1-2, NIV

Some would interpret these verses as handing a wife the role of a doormat, but as we take a closer look, that’s not what we find. A wife is not a powerless woman; rather, she is much more powerful than she sometimes realizes. In these verses Peter was speaking to the woman in the Roman world.

A note in the Life Application Bible reads, “Under Roman law, the husband and father had absolute authority over all members of his household, including his wife. If he disapproved of her new beliefs, she could endanger her marriage by demanding her rights as a free woman in Christ.”^a Peter’s encouraging words were intended for Christian women. He reassured them that their responsibility was not to preach to their husbands, but to show them loving service—the kind of love and service that Christ showed the church.

The woman who thinks she can persuade her husband with words is mistaken. Rather, he is influenced by the way she conducts herself—her ethics, her habits, her morals, and her interactions with others. Peter refers to both purity and reverence. Purity means being free from pollution, abuse, or contamination. Reverence includes awe for God, respect for others, and the realization that God created us with great value.

Wives are instructed to support their husbands but not to allow abuse. Allowing mistreatment of any kind to go on contradicts God’s instruction to be pure, meaning “free of abuse or pollution.” Whether a husband is an unbeliever or a believer who is acting like an unbeliever, actions speak louder than words.

Father,

May we never forget the tremendous influence and persuasion that we have as wives. Please help us to grow in purity and reverence, remembering that our behavior can be winsome. Amen.