Positioned for Powerful Influence

Peter wrote this letter around 60 AD to the early Church. Nero was in power, and Christianity was spreading throughout the world. Peter assures people from all walks of life that if they are believers, their circumstances do not limit what God can do through them.

1 Peter 3:1-12 needs some cultural context. The gospel was spreading, and many women were coming to faith, but their husbands were not. Peter encourages wives to recognize that they have the opportunity to influence their husbands to see the gospel and give their lives to Christ. The greatest takeaway for everyone is this: let it be the quality of your life that wins someone to Christ, not the quantity of your words.

Wherever you are currently positioned, as a believer, you are in a place to have powerful influence.

Later in this same passage, Peter says to live your life in such a way that people become curious. Then, when they ask you about the hope you have, be prepared to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15).

1 Peter 3:2-6. Peter addresses the cultural obsession with outward beauty. He urges believers to focus on inner beauty instead. Matthew 6:21-24 reminds us that no one can serve two masters. The light in our eyes, which reflects our inner beauty, and our outward adornment are tied together—both competing for our affections. This truth convicts us. Peter draws attention to the fact that when we live with God as our only Master, we experience peace—an inner peace that shines through our eyes. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

David exemplifies this truth. When God was choosing a king, David didn’t seem qualified by human standards. But God wasn’t looking for qualifications; He was looking at the heart. God doesn’t care about outward adornments—He cares about hearts that recognize Him as King. Do you spend as much time cultivating your inner life as you do your outward appearance?

As a wife, you are invited to live within the system God designed and to give Him glory through it. Don’t look to your husband to give you what you need—God has already provided all you need. Stop asking people to give you what only God can give. In John 15:16, Jesus says He chose us to bear fruit that will last forever. Be at peace—you’ve already been chosen.

1 Peter 3:7. When Peter says that women are the “weaker partner,” he simply means that a woman’s physical frame is generally weaker than a man’s. God has given men the stewardship of leading the family. This is not a criticism of women; it is the role God assigned within marriage. The power is in the partnership. A husband should treat his wife with value. It’s about complementing each other, not competing. God doesn’t design things for us to diminish in them—He designs them so that we flourish.

Husbands, treat your wives with respect. She is an heir with you—a co-heir of the same gospel, Spirit, and mission. There is no hierarchy in the gospel; both husband and wife enter through the same door of grace. Husbands, if you want to become all that God created you to be, partner with your wife. Partnership allows for shared input, unified plans, and powerful prayers that glorify God. Husbands free their wives to be who God has called them to be. It’s a relationship of mutual honor and respect.

1 Peter 3:8-12. Live in harmony and unity, with tender hearts toward one another.

How to respond:

1. Focus on what you want to become. We become what we behold—so what are you looking at?

2. Pray. Psalm 139:23-24 is a great place to start. When you open your hands before God and ask Him to search your heart—to reveal any offensive way in you or anyone you need to forgive—God will answer that prayer. The world needs the light in our eyes, but that light comes from a pure heart.