THE BEAUTY OF A TRANSFORMED COMMUNITY
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
When Peter wrote this passage, he wasn’t discouraging spending any time or money on our appearance. But instead, he was pointing to a deeper, more powerful type of beauty. That beauty grows and becomes apparent inside a Christ-centered community. In the early church, people were drawn to the way that Christians lived. These people were drawn to a different type of life and love being lived out by early followers of Christ.
The people that we spend time with influence who we become. When we surround ourselves with a community of people who are pursuing Jesus, we begin to take on the qualities of Christ that are magnetic to the people around us. Think for a minute about the people around you who present a strong, quiet spirit who is a fantastic listener, or the calming presence of someone who doesn’t need to win every argument, or the strength of a man who just shows up to serve and has an innate sense of responsibility for those around him. These qualities are formed over time, often through encouragement, accountability and shared stories of the family of God.
This transformed way of living becomes its own kind of outreach to people. People notice when a community loves well. They notice when forgiveness is freely and generously given, when humility replaces competition, when joy isn’t tied to circumstances, and when courage rises from a deep and abiding sense of faith in Christ. A community that lives this way creates an alternative society that is markedly different from the world around it.
Peter reminds us that the church’s impact doesn’t begin with strategy but with lives shaped and changed by the Holy Spirit.
APPLICATION: Pay attention today to people whose presence shapes you. What qualities do you absorb from your community? Ask God to form His character in you through the people He has placed around you.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for creating us to grow within a community. Shape my inner life so that it more closely reflects Your character. Help our church become a community whose beauty points people to You. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?