1 Peter 3_5-9 How to Fight Fair

HOW TO FIGHT FAIR

1 Peter 3:5-9

Song of Solomon, the most romantic book of the Bible devotes the same amount of time to fighting as it does love-making.  Don’t you wish that were true in your lives?

Even children are affected by fighting:

            Little Johnny:  “My dad can beat up your dad.”

            Little Bobby:  “So can my mom.”

1 Peter 3:5-9 gives us some guidelines for fighting.

1. Foundation (5-7)
2. Attitude (8)
3. Actions (9)

I.  The Foundation of a Good Fight (5-7)

A.    Sarah obeyed without fear

1.  Fear of what others would think

Do the opinions of the women at work mean more to you than God’s opinion?

2.  Fear that he will take advantage of you.

            B.  Men live in an understanding way.

Fishing = We study fish.  What they like to eat.  Where they like to go. What they like to do.  So we can be better at catching them.

                  1. Understand they are a “weaker” vessel.”

Physical = comparative term.  Men are weak.

                                                Women are weaker.

                  2.  Understand how to “honor” this vessel.

Honor = to praise above all else.

What do you talk about?

We brag about our – car, boat, truck, sports.

Then insult the Little Woman.

II. Attitude in a Good fight (8)

                  A.  Of one mind – harmony

If a choir sings in unison, they are all singing the same note.  The most beautiful music is made when they sing different notes in harmony.

If we think in unison, we all think the same.

A beautiful relationship encourages different thinking.  God put you together because both of you have strong points.

This sign was in a wallpaper store window.

“Husbands choosing wall-paper must have notes from wives.”

                  B.  Compassionate – sympathy

A little girl was sent on an errand by mother.  She took too long.  When she came back her mother demanded to know where she had been.  She told her mom that she saw a little girl who was crying because she lost her doll.  Mom asked, “Did you stop to help her find it?”  “No,” replied the girl.  “I stopped to help her cry.”

                  C.  Family Love

                  D.  Pitiful – kindhearted

I visited the second floor Critical Care area of LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.  There was a crying baby there who caught my attention.  She was bruised, cigarette burns on her feet, obscenities were written on her legs, internal damage.  Parents who didn’t care.  A nurse picked up the baby.  At first it screamed louder and pushed away.   Then as it felt love it wrapped its arms around the nurse.

Look at your spouse.  What damage are you doing to him or her?

                  E.  Courteous – humble in spirit

A stewardess told Muhammad Ali to buckle his seatbelt.

He said, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.”

She said, “Superman don’t need no plane either.”

III. Actions in a Good Fight (9)

                  A.  Not rendering evil for evil

The original usage of this phase referred to a coward.

Don’t take the coward’s way out.

                  B.  Not Railing for Railing

Blasphemy

Defamation

Mocking

Blaming

Insulting

Hurting

Opposite word is “praise”

Try praising your wife, even if it frightens her at first.

                  C.  We should ask God to bless them.

Right in the middle of a good fight.  Stop and pray that God will bless our partner.

A lot of you are fighting another fight.  This one is with God.

1)  You are afraid of what others will think.

2)  You are afraid of what He will require.

3)  You don’t understand all that He wants.