ODJ: shockingly honest
May 3, 2011
Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered (v.7).
READ: 1 Peter 3:7-12
What seemed like an ordinary day in church soon became extraordinary. The minister merely asked one of his elders to lead in prayer. But the man stood and said, “I’m sorry, Pastor. I’ve been arguing with my wife all the way to church, and I am in no condition to pray.” Then he sat down.
After one of those l-o-o-o-n-n-g “brief” moments—the kind where you can hear crickets chirping—the minister awkwardly led the congregation in a prayer, and the worship service moved on. Afterward, the two exchanged apologies, and the pastor vowed never again to ask anyone to pray publicly without first asking him privately.
When I learned of this incident from my seminary professor, I found it refreshingly unreligious. That man demonstrated shocking honesty in a place typically known for pretense and formality.
That elder also understood a concept that the disciple Peter hints at: God is a protective and loving Father. If I’m not honoring my wife, why would her heavenly Father hear my prayers? I’ve offended Him as much as her. Perhaps that’s why Peter warns, “Treat [your wife] as you should so your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).
“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,” Peter added, quoting from the Old Testament (Psalm 34:15-16), “and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). That truth extends not just to marriage relationships but to everything we do.
What will happen if we exchange the façade of religiosity for shocking, loving honesty with our brothers and sisters in Christ? What will happen if we honor each other more than ourselves? It’s the only way a watching world will know we’re truly different. —Tim Gustafson
How are you striving to be genuine in everything you do? In what ways are you being dishonest before God and others?
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