Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands… Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives… so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Peter 3:1, 7 (NIV)
Peter does not say that you must be happily married if you are going to be greatly used by God. However, he does give practical encouragement about the way we share life together so that nothing will hinder our prayers.
God speaks to wives about submission and beauty. Regarding beauty, Peter says that “a gentle and quiet spirit” is of great worth in God’s sight, and it never fades away (3:4).
Then Peter spells out what submission looks like in practice by giving us a model in the person of Sarah. Sarah was a strong-willed woman who knew how and when to draw a line. And yet, in loyal love and support to Abraham, a difficult and yet great man, she fulfilled a ministry. Through this lady’s faithfulness to her husband, in God’s chain of events, there will be a vast crowd of people from every tribe and nation glorifying God for all eternity.
Peter encourages husbands by drawing out the themes of knowledge and honor. A husband’s job is to know and understand his wife. Learn what makes her happy and pursue it. Discover what hurts her and avoid it. Understand her struggles, her fears, her hopes, and her dreams, then let that knowledge shape the way you relate to her at home.
To honor a wife means honoring her with your time and your money. Use your strength to support her and to bless her. Speak to her and about her in a way that makes her feel honored.
Why are we to do all of this? So that nothing will hinder our prayers. Critical to the pursuit of our God-given objective in this world is the way that we live at home because that in turn is critical to the effectiveness of our prayers.
Consider your conduct at home and the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of your prayers.
