God works differently than me and you. He spins out the stars and galaxies and has been working with a many thousand-year plan in our lives. It feels absurd until you stop and think that we read 3,000-year-old stories from a book and realise, God is in control. As Kris Valloton puts it: God is busy herding elephants and we stand face to face with one toe, thinking: That looks funny to me.
I was reading 1 Peter 3 (a controversial little piece in the bible if you decide to read it out of its context instead of letting IT teach you…) when It struck me again…
Do this so that your prayers won’t be hindered
Some days God just throws words at me like rocks.
It is not the context of what Peter was writing, but it’s a hidden spiritual truth that the whole chapter hinges on. When they asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment, he gave three answers in two:
1. Love God with everything and all your might
2. Love your neighbour as you…
3. Love yourself (the way God loves you with His everything and all His might!)
So what can hinder my prayers? Peter makes it quite simple: By not honouring your wife.
Throat punch! But… but… but! but I… do… don’t I?
So the foolish little human that I am, I put down my bible and went to google so that other’s can teach me, people that are more spiritual and that hears God better than me (because obviously _they_ honour their wives!) and I came back with a list of things to do:
1. Live in harmony, live in peace
2. Demonstrate true affection. True love
3. Show and feel sympathy
4. Live kindness
5. Stay humble in my relationship,
6. Fervent and passionate love
7. Never retaliate (because of #2 – You cannot retaliate against that which you love?)
8. Speaking blessings over my wife and my relationship
Good List, I thought…
Now see the connection that Peter makes from verse 8 onwards… Us towards the world:
“…Now, this is the goal: to live in harmony with one another and demonstrate affectionate love, sympathy, and kindness toward other believers. Let humility describe who you are as you dearly love one another. Never retaliate when someone treats you wrongly, nor insult those who insult you, but instead, respond by speaking a blessing over them—because a blessing is what God promised to give you. For the Scriptures tell us:
Whoever wants to embrace true life
and find beauty in each day
must stop speaking evil, hurtful words
and never deceive in what they say.
Always turn from what is wrong
and cultivate what is good;
eagerly pursue peace in every relationship,
making it your prize.
For the eyes of the Lord Yahweh rest upon the godly,
and his heart responds to their prayers.
But he turns his back on those who practice evil…”
1 Peter 3:8-12
If I can’t Honour my wife, whom I love passionately… how will I love and care for those that are intent on doing bad things to me and roll stones into my way?
