A LADY WITH A POLISHED HEART

You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of your beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God’s sight for the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands.” Text: I Peter 3: 3-6
The first word I want to push out to you is that to be relevant in life and ministry starts with possessing the right heart. As a matter of fact, the difference between being a good woman and a great woman is a matter of the type of heart you have. So a change must first of all occur from your inside before it manifests outside. Moreover, God’s prerequisite for using any man/woman also centers on having the right heart. Until a woman’s heart is set right, she cannot go far with God, not to talk of affecting her generation for God (Remember the case of David and his brothers in I Sam. 16).
The issue of being a polished lady, however, has to do more with transformation than reformation. Transformation begins from the inside; reformation centers on the outside. God is much more interested in you being transformed from the inside out. To be polished, therefore, implies to be thoroughly furnished, to be smooth and shiny (2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2:21). This implies that a certain level of transformation would have occurred from the inside.
Characteristics of a Polished Lady
From our text above, the following could be said as the characteristics of a polished lady:
A polished lady is a submissive lady – 1 Peter 3:1. She is the one that is under the lordship of Jesus, as Lord and Savior. When she gets married she is also the one having her own “ mission” as a “ sub-mission” of her husband’s mission. She is not arrogant, nor does she have an independent vision to that of her husband.
A polished lady maintains purity and quietness of heart. She is the one that cherishes absolute holiness of heart and body. She labors to make herself pure at all times.
A polished lady is not materialistic – 1Peter 3: 3. She does not depend and spend extravagantly on outward adornment.
A polished lady gives priority to the building of her inner man through prayer and the word - 1 Peter 3:4 . She believes that inner strength is to be desired first above all other things.
A polished lady is devoted to God – Luke 2:36-38. She shows devotion to God in prayer and fasting both for herself and other people.
A polished lady is a disciplined lady – 2Tim. 1:7. She exercises self control over herself so that she could achieve her set goals.
A polished lady is a focused lady – I Cor. 9:26-27. She is not easily distracted by situations and circumstances around her. She maintains her quietness of spirit.
Polished Women in the Bible
Deborah: She was called a mother in Israel –
Judges 5:7
The Egyptian three mid-wives: They feared God and spared the life of Moses – Exd. 1:17
Esther: She risked her life to save her nation from sudden destruction – Esther 4:15,16
Priscilla: Together with her husband, Aquila, supported Appollos, a young preacher – Acts 18: 24-26; Rom. 16: 3
Dns. Phoebe: She was of great help to Paul’s ministry – Rom. 16: 1,2.
Mary, the mother of John Mark: She made her house available for all night prayer session so that Peter could be released from prison –
Acts 12: 12
Becoming a Polished Lady
According to Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life , you are SHAPED for mission. So to become a polished lady, you must therefore understand your SHAPE:
S : Identify and use your SPIRITUAL GIFTS .
H : Devote your HEART to God. That is talking about passion.
A : Use your ABILITY for God. That is talking about your potentials.
P : You are uniquely made. Employ your PERSONALITY to serve Him.
E : You have a unique EXPERIENCE. It can be used for God.
Conclusion
You need to ask God to help you to locate your place where you need to play a supportive role today. Ask God also to supply the necessary grace. Remain blessed in Jesus.