One of my favorite chapters in the New Testament is 1 Peter 3. While reading Peter’s inspired words, I could not help but dwell on the specific words in verse four that say: “…which is very precious in the sight of God.” Chapter four, verses 1-7 are a blessing to all godly women, but verse four stands out to me because of the word “precious”. The word precious brings to mind sweet and innocent children. We picture cute little baby animals or even sweet elderly people. Precious gems are valuable and beautiful. The American Heritage dictionary defines precious as, “highly esteemed, cherished, dear, beloved, and affectionately dainty and refined.”

I think we all long to be considered precious in God’s sight. Thankfully, being precious and of a meek and quiet spirit is much more important to God than any eye-catching physical beauty. It is comforting to know that God is looking for our beautiful hearts and not our beautiful looks. We know that everything God has made is good and beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Are we precious in God’s site? How can we maintain a quiet manner and an innocent heart with all that this world brings our way?  We can do so with God’s help. We cannot produce a beautiful heart without all the right tools, given to us by God. We use His tools when we study the Bible and spend a lot of time on bended knee. The world cannot produce beauty that lasts forever. Beauty of the heart will last forever; but beauty of this world will fade. Proverbs 31:30 instructs us that beauty is vain, for it is fleeting, but a woman who is devout to God will be praised.

It is a great relief that we do not have to stand out as an ornamental, physical beauty to be worthy before God. We do not have to struggle to maintain a corruptible physical beauty that will fade no matter how hard we try to stop it. Our beautiful heart will be incorruptible and imperishable, if we keep it godly and precious. Our inward beauty will only become more beautiful with proper use and with time. I am so thankful that my outward appearance is not equivalent to what beauty can be in my heart. Though I do believe there is some truth to the expression that a “sour face” is because of a “sour heart”.

I would like to share a tidbit I read in a magazine called, Crowned with Silver. This was taken in part from the Tracey’s Ladies Manual, in 1816: “Beauty and charm is that which can carry comfort and hope; and truly peace and health, industry and a quiet conscience are great beautifiers; and from these homely faces of sweet and good we have seen beam forth as transcendent as anything that ever sculptor embodied or poet dreamed of.”  What a wonderful thought that peace, health, and industry (work or study) could make us beautiful.

God is His wisdom knew that a woman’s adorning of a meek and quiet spirit, coupled with an unselfish devotion to her husband, could win an unbelieving husband to the Lord.  A true love for our husbands that cares for their spiritual well-being will help to bring them to God. Meekness is a necessary attribute for a beautiful heart. Meekness is important in our daily walk in godly womanhood. It is essential for living a godly life. Without meekness, we cannot be a good friend or wife or mother. Christ Himself is our best example of meekness. The attribute of quietness is pretty self-explanatory, though not as simple to follow, as we would like.  Soft and silent is a goal for any godly woman. I am praying that I will be more meek and quiet to please my Heavenly Father.

Lea Fowler is a wonderful author and she wrote a poem about 1 Peter 3.

Precious We’d Like To Be

If we could live with our lights trimmed bright,
We’d turn out to be like gold in His sight.
Like Sarah, we’d grow as the years fly by,
Dying to self – learning to die.

A quiet gentle spirit, such a prize to seek.
It’s an acquired virtue, not for the weak.
It takes prayer and time and exercise mental,
To want to be quiet or choose to be gentle.

To stress inward beauty and soft peddle the looks,
Is to go against nature, T.V., and the books,
But it should end up perfect; it would end up right,
For we could end up perfect, like gold in His sight.

Our meek and quiet spirit will be a good example for our children to see. I think that children not seeing a mother with a meek and quiet spirit in their lives have caused many of the problems of this world. Many children have viewed loud and argumentative women in their lives. Many children have been taught that it is good to be out-spoken and to be forceful in expressing themselves. Speaking out for truth and justice is right, but not in an ungodly manner. This misguided principle of self-esteem has caused many people to be rude and selfish. A mother who is a good example of meekness and gentleness will guide children’s behavior in a godly way.

God’s word is all we need to show us how we are to behave in this life that God has given us on earth. Our lives will be blest in so many ways when we strive to be a woman as God instructed in 1 Peter chapter three. When we feel ourselves slipping away from our quest, we can find encouragement in our Bibles and in observing a woman we know who is a godly example of a meek and quiet spirit. I am happy to say that I know many dear Christian women who fit this godly example. Do not give up on the task, but hold fast to your goal and be precious in the sight of God!

By Susan Follis
Susan Follis lives in Lamar, Colorado. She and her husband, Jim, have been married almost 34 years. They have six children and four grandchildren. She loves learning about being a godly wife and mother.