Having a Gentle and Quiet Spirit Part 2

In Part 1, we saw how the Lord came to save us even though we were hostile to Him, and He is our example not only as wives but in every relationship we have. We are responsible for how we act and react, regardless of how others do.

We continue by looking at Matthew 26:31

• Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

See, He did go to the cross even when those He loved abandoned Him. And He did it willingly because He loved them and us. And how did He do this? We are told by entrusting Himself to the one who judges righteously. He didn’t do this because He wanted to judge them, but because He loved even those who were screaming Crucify Him and ripping out His beard and whipping Him. He knew that this was the only way for them to have an opportunity to be saved.

But what are we told? That in the same way that Jesus still went to the cross and didn’t revile those who mistreated Him, we are to have the purpose of winning our husbands over without a word but rather with our pure behavior, just as Jesus had no sin found in Him. What a high calling He has given us as wives and all believers.

And in addition to that as we continue in

1 Peter 3:3-4

• Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 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.

As we keep our focus on the Lord, we will not be merely concerned with our outward appearance but will be more concerned with who we are before the Lord. As we are told in

Proverbs 31:30

• Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Some women I think of when I read this verse about a woman who fears the Lord are the women that we read about anointing Jesus’ feet. There are two instances that I want to look at. The first is in

Luke 7:36-38

• Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

This woman didn’t care who she was in front of or what they said or thought about her. Jesus had changed her, and she was going to show her love and appreciation to Him. Think about this situation, she went into a Pharisee's house as a woman known to be a sinner and began to cry on one of his guests and wipe his feet with her hair. She would have caused quite a scene. But she didn’t care. She was completely broken before Him, and He was all that mattered. Not the embarrassment she could have felt or anything else. Only Him. This, too, is so humbling. How many times have we not told someone about the Lord because of things that this woman would have had much greater reasons to hold back? Or have we held back in our love and adoration for the Lord because we didn’t want to be seen as overboard? If we are truly grateful to the Lord as this woman was then we will not care about anyone else around us but only showing the Lord how much we love Him. What a great example of love she is towards our Savior. Continuing in this passage

Luke 7:39-50

• Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”This woman was so broken from her past of sin, and the Lord so gently picked her up and put her back together, and for that, she was so grateful and loved Him all the more. We see the Lord’s heart here towards this woman as He defends her and restores her and sees her act of love as precious.

The other instance where we see a woman anoint Jesus’ feet is in

John 12:3

• Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

This act of anointing His feet and wiping them with her hair was an act of complete submission and worship. She loved Him so much and was so grateful to Him. And this is not the first time we see Mary at His feet. In

Luke 10:39

• And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Mary was sitting at His feet listening to Him. Again, this is an act of submission to sit at His feet. My sisters, do you sit at His feet to learn from Him? The Lord wants to teach us and be intimate with us. He wants us to sit at His feet and learn. And when her sister complained that she was not helping, the Lord answered in

Luke 10:41-42

• And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”See all of these other things that distract us while yes, they need to get done, they should not come before sitting at our Savior's feet. But as Jesus said, “But only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part,”.

Sitting at the Lord's feet and growing in Him, drawing closer to Him, is the only necessary thing. Sisters, I pray that we would all sit at His feet more and realize what a privilege it is to be able to do so. That He calls us and wants us, even when we fall short, and when we are flat out disobedient. He still calls us and bids us to come. This is just so beyond our comprehension that we cannot understand how incredible it is that we get to sit at His feet. This truly leaves me in awe and wonder as to why He would want me. I don’t deserve His love, yet He gives it so freely.

There is another time we see Mary at the feet of Jesus and this time it is in sorrow. Her brother had just died, and she was in great grief. We pick up in

John 11:30-

• Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.

As soon as she knew that Jesus was near, she went quickly to meet Him and fell at His feet. She falls at His feet and makes a proclamation. She knew without a doubt that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died. There was not a trace of doubt; she knew this.

My sisters, do we know that the Lord loves us just as He loved Mary and the sinful woman who anointed His feet with her tears? I can tell you that I know He does. And His love is so overwhelming.

So, we have seen that as wives and believers in general, we are to look to the example that Jesus left us of complete sacrificial love that is pure and wins others who are disobedient without a word by our pure conduct with fear. And without a word. You see, when we are living with our eyes fixed on the Lord and are concerned with pleasing Him and becoming holy as He has called us to be, then we will not be focused as much on the other things that are not necessary. Let’s go back to

1 Peter 3: 5-6

• For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

If we are to be like the holy women who hoped in God, then we must respect our husbands to the point of calling them Lord if they want us to and be subject to them. By doing this and not fearing anyone who would come against this, we can be called her children. But more importantly, our hearts will be right before the Lord. You see, our service and submission to our husbands is our service towards God. Our attitudes towards them are a reflection of how we hold God in our hearts, more so than any other relationship. We are the church, and the church is the bride of Christ. So, as we learn to be better wives to our husbands, we learn to be a better bride to the Lord.

In Titus 2:3-5 we read:

• The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

See our example as a Christian wife, if not following the Word, can cause the Word to be slandered. This is the last thing I want. I want to be pleasing to the Lord, for Him to see me as precious. I want to win others over for Him. And regardless of whether you are a wife or not, you are called to encourage the younger women in these things, and yes, so that the Word of God will not be slandered.

So let us press on, sitting at the Savior's feet, submitting to Him in all things, learning from Him so that He may make us holy, pure, and gentle. Let us look to His example so that when we are reviled, we do not revival back but entrust ourselves to the one who judges righteously and is the keeper of our very souls.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.