Blake Allen
Dunbar Cave Campus Pastor
1 Peter 3:3-4
“3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
Growing up as a kid, I used to hear the phrase “Sunday best” a ton. The phrase meant that on Sunday morning, for church, you wore your best outfit for God. You dressed to impress. Showing up with holy jeans or a t-shirt was considered borderline sin. And while we should give God our best, our man-made traditions oftentimes blind us to what God truly desires from us. It’s not the external God is concerned with. It is what is going on inside the heart.
Consider 1 Peter 3:3-4. Although Peter is specifically addressing women in this passage, the implication applies to us all. Our culture is consumed with outward appearances. We want people to see us at our best. We must dress the best, look the best, have the best, buy the best, and be at our best. And we forget that Jesus came not for our good or “best” efforts. He came to save sinners who were broken.
God is more pleased with humility and a quiet spirit than He is with our pride in appearances. You can look the finest on the outside and yet be filthy on the inside. It’s not the outside that needs tiding up, it’s our hearts. That’s why Jesus came. That is what the gospel emphasizes. And that should be what our concern is too. For this is what is “very precious” in God’s sight.