Stranger ThingsSample

Dress to Impress Do you remember when you first started to care about your appearance? Most young kids are content to grab whatever their parents hung in the closet, with little thought to color or pattern combinations. But at some point, a dramatic shift takes place. We suddenly become aware of changing trends, brand names that everyone simply must wear, and the things you just can’t wear if you want to ever have another friend again in your life. It’s a nightmare to try and keep up with. And yet Peter addresses this issue by saying that who we are on the inside is what actually matters. That may sound like a motivational speech a parent gives their child, but it is 100% biblically true. Now, in this passage, Peter is specifically addressing wives and their relationship to their husbands, but don’t think that lets the unmarried women or all the men off the hook. We live in a hyper-visual world, and the temptation to draw attention to our physical appearance is off the charts! Guys want to get jacked and show off the guns; girls are tempted to reveal more and more of their bodies to gain approval or attention. And all any of it really leads to is an ever-increasing cycle of comparison and insecurity. It’s a mess! This is what makes Peter’s words from nearly 2,000 years ago so timeless. What is really attractive, what we should really be pursuing is having such strong character that people take notice of that. You could show up in baggy sweat pants and an old, paint-covered T-shirt, and people will still be drawn to you by the way Jesus shines through you. But, for most of us, that will require a tough look in the mirror, an honest evaluation of our wardrobe, and maybe a total refocusing of our priorities. What do you want the world to see most – your body, or who you really are? Honestly, you can’t have it both ways, so you have to make the choice.