Biblical Adornment

Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.  I Peter 3:4

I'm the first to admit that I love cute clothes, shopping, and everything expensive.  But the LORD is primarily concerned about the heart, and his call to women in I Peter is to adorn ourselves "with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit."  If you know me, you know that I am not quiet: I love to talk!  I love to stand on my soapbox and share my opinions about education, child rearing, church denominations, theology, pet rearing, Christian living, etc.  And, lately, I've been realizing that my opinions are often so different than those of others.  It makes me upset & frustrated, but Paul's command in I Peter was both convicting and encouraging to me this morning.

Quiet.  It doesn't mean not talking.  It means a spirit that is peaceful because it trusts God in all circumstances; a quiet heart doesn't need to fret or be anxious because it knows that the LORD has all of its cares and concerns in His hand.   Quietness exhibits trust in God alone.  And here's the portion that was convicting for me:  "Quietness means sitting back and allowing others to express their opinions or have their way," (Brownback, p. 60).

I pray that the LORD will work in my heart and life so that I may exhibit a gentle and quiet spirit, not getting all fired up or frustrated when others disagree with me.  Oh, LORD, save me from my selfish self!

Purity Devotional by  Lydia Brownback