1 Peter 3:3 KJV
[3] “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;”
If there has ever been a verse misused and abused in the New Testament, this would be one of them. Some take this verse out of context and teach that a woman should not wear a nice-looking dress, cut her hair, wear jewelry, or use makeup. Let me say that I do not object to women who hold to their convictions of plain dressing, wearing their hair in a bun, and choosing not to wear jewelry or makeup. There is nothing wrong with having these standards in your life. If this is the decision that you and your husband have made, that is commendable.
However, this is not the interpretation of this verse. If Peter meant that women should not be styling their hair or wearing gold, he would also be saying that they should not be putting on apparel. Go back and read the list mentioned in this verse and see for yourself. If one thing in this verse is forbidden, then everything listed is also. Our next verse will prove our point even more, but I will comment on that in our next devotional. If we read the two prior verses in context, we will see what Peter is saying.
The submissive wife understands that she will not win her husband to the Lord by her physical attraction or outward appearance but by what is on the inside. Our next devotional will address this point in detail, but note that a spiritual woman works more on the spiritual aspects than the physical.
Think about how most women are very conscious of their appearance in public. Some would not dare leave the house or allow others to see them until they have spent the time to make themselves look presentable. They are always conscious of how they look. Some might even stay indoors if they feel they have an unpresentable blemish. The tragedy is that many never care enough to spend time working on who God wants them to be on the inside.
Inwardly, they are a mess. Maybe it’s a bitter spirit, a jealous heart, a gossiping tongue, or a murmuring attitude. They are ugly on the inside, and their lost husband not only sees it; he has to live with it every day. Peter states that no matter how beautiful a woman may be outwardly, her beauty is vain and passing. Her inward beauty will last forever and grow more beautiful each day as she walks with the Lord.