DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- INNER BEAUTY

 INNER BEAUTY
I Peter 3:3-4
 
"Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
 
The TV series, "Extreme Makeover," turned plain Janes into beauty queens. It is amazing what beauticians, new clothes, and jewelry can do to the outward appearance.  However these things can do nothing to make the spirit beautiful.  It is not wrong to care about my appearance, but it will fade.  Inner beauty will remain.  God is not impressed with my outward beauty, but He is pleased with the "hidden beauty of the heart." So that is where my emphasis should be – to develop a gentle and quiet spirit.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Inward beauty is more precious than outward beauty.
 
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Have a "beautiful" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WITNESS WITHOUT WORDS

 WITNESS WITHOUT WORDS
I Peter 3:1-2
 
"Likewise wives, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear."
 
Peter had said to be submissive to the civil authorities (2:13-14), to bosses in the workplace (2:18), and here is addresses the home. God has ordained authority and government to keep order in society. As in the civil arena and in the work place, violating this rule in the home brings chaos and confusion. God's plan for the home is the man as the leader, with the wife in submission.  Peter says that if the wife wants to influence her husband, it should be  with "fear," that is respect and honor.   Her influence on her husband comes more from how she lives than what she says. I think this rule applies to all witnessing. Jesus said we would be witnesses – not do witnessing (Acts 1:8). There is a place for words, but if they are not backed up by my life and an attitude of respect, then they become nagging, like water dripping from a faucet (Proverbs 19:13). Sometimes it is better to witness without words.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Living a godly life gives power to the words I speak.
 
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Have a being day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HE TOOK MY PLACE

HE TOOK MY PLACE
I Peter 2:24-25
 
"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
 
What a marvelous wonder! The Great Shepherd gave up His own life for the sheep who had strayed. He, the Shepherd, was also the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for the sins of the world when He died on the tree (John 1:29). And not just for the world, but for me. Peter echoed Isaiah when he wrote, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). What a wonderful Shepherd!!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Jesus, the Great Shepherd, was also the Lamb of God Who bore the penalty of sins for the whole world.
 
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Have a thankful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- COMMITTING TO GOD

 COMMITTING TO GOD
I Peter 2:20-21
 
"For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps..."
 
It is one thing to pay the penalty for my misconduct. There is no great praise for me when I suffer the consequence for my wrongdoing. I earned it by my foolishness. But when I suffer for charges that are not true, this is praiseworthy. Jesus gave us the supreme example of undeserved suffering. He, Who was completely innocent, endured tremendous suffering at the hands of cruel men without reviling them or threatening them with retaliation. What was His secret? He committed Himself to God, the righteous judge, Who sorts everything out and justifies the innocent (vss. 22-23). When I am faced with false accusations and mistreatment for righteous living, the only proper response is to commit it to God and let Him defend me.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When faced with unjust treatment, the proper response is to not retaliate but to commit it to God.
 
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Have a committed day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- COMMENDABLE TO GOD

 COMMENDABLE TO GOD
I Peter 2:18-19
　
"Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully."
 
To my natural mind, there seems to be something wrong with this picture. It is bad enough when I have to pay the price for doing wrong. But to keep a good spirit when I am wrongfully accused or mistreated by someone just because they are mean just doesn't seem right. I want to fight back at the injustice, defend my ego, and protect my reputation. I have to remember that God keeps score, and above all, I want to be commendable and pleasing to Him. Lord Jesus, help me to not retaliate when I suffer wrongfully, but to endure it with a good spirit.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God is pleased when His children commit their mistreatment to Him.
 
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Have a commendable day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- VALUING PEOPLE

 VALUING PEOPLE
I Peter 2:17
 
"Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king."
 
This verse is a challenge for me. I get the love of the brotherhood and the fear of God. But "honor all people and honor the king?" That is difficult. The Greek word translated "honor" is timao, and means to esteem or place value on something. (Sidenote: the name Timothy is a combination of time and theos – honoring God or honored by God.) I find it hard to esteem and value some people, like the indigent people who sponge off of others, or ungodly politicians. I don't need to esteem everything they do, but I have to understand that they have value as people whom God loves. Lord Jesus, help me to see people as You see them, as people You value and love.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: We are called to value all people as God values them.
 
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Have an honoring day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOOD LIVING

 GOOD LIVING
I Peter 2:15-16
 
"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to shame the ignorance of foolish men – as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God."
 
God's grace is great, and covers a multitude of sin. But the freedom of grace is not a convenient excuse or cover for me to do what is wrong. Vice is anything bad and is translated as evil, maliciousness, wickedness, and naughtiness. When I do evil, no matter how innocuous or justified it may seem, I give the critics of the Gospel ammunition to attack. Good works disarm their guns by showing their ignorance and foolishness. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (I Corinthians 10:23). The parameters of Christian living is "what is helpful and what edifies," and not "how much can get by with and still be a Christian." Pleasing my Master should be my motivation. It is not just my reputation that is at stake, but God's honor.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Good deeds should mark the Christian's life to diffuse the attacks of the critics of the Gospel.
 
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Have a "good living" day. Love you.