This week I am going to start a mini series on the big topic of modesty. This is something that has many different areas to discuss and lies close to every girls heart.
The first subject I am going to examine is why a woman was created and how she fulfills that purpose. It is the answer to this question that helps us understand all of the other problems with men and women, clothing and modesty, why we want to dress a certain way, and many other similar things.
The Bible tells us that everything in it is given for our example and instruction. This being the case, the first place of directive we must look at, concerning this issue, is with the first woman Eve. As mother of all humans and example to all other women, she shows us why we were made and what our job is. She shows us how we should act toward our husband/father and why we have certain desires.
This is what we find concerning her, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. . .And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. . .Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 18, 22, & 24).”
Because of these verses, and others elsewhere, God is telling us that Eve (woman) was made for Adam (man). Helping and pleasing our father/husband is what our job is and all our other duties and responsibilities fit under this one thing. Because of this, we must learn to study God’s Word and our husband’s/father’s so that we understand what their desires and needs are. We have a great responsibility and we need, especially before entering marriage, to fully understand how to accomplish it.
Frederick Morgan "Off for the Honeymoon"
Having said that, most women have probably never thought about or purposely practiced this idea past the first few years of marriage. When they first get married it is a pleasure for them to please their husband, but when they get used to married life they are no longer careful to please him or be his main source of help. However, those of you who are married need to realize that part of your duty to your husband is to please him. That includes how you dress. Does he like your style or does he complain because he wishes you would wear something different? Does he like how you do your hair and do you study his personality to see what pleases him and what doesn’t?
All of these things, as 1 Corinthians says ‘The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife,” are our duty as women created for the men in our lives.
This is another area that we, as unmarried girls, must learn to understand and practice now. It will help us to study our fathers and brothers so that we know the things in general that please them. It will help us, when we get married, have a better understanding of what men are like and how to please our husband. Of course specific likes and dislikes will vary between our father and husband, but the general things will be the same. An example, is learning the attitude of a servant. This is something that women are very good at doing in the work force but not at home. My dad has given me a recent illustration. One day at lunch time his boss said he was hungry and a fellow woman worker immediately jumped in and started taking his order and asking what he wanted to eat and how he wanted it made. This sort of action looked very servant-like and very attractive, yet how many of us show this attitude at home towards our family and especially our husbands? It is very easy for us to act this way in public for the wrong reasons. We want praise from people and we think, “they are just family and I’m already stuck with them.”
Nevertheless, God has commanded us to show this attitude to our husband and to make it our special care to be all he needs and please him in every way possible. Also (as I may talk about later) this is one big key to keeping our father’s and especially our husband’s love and attention. By being all he needs we are lessening the temptation satan uses to cause men to look elsewhere for his desires and likes to be fulfilled.
As with everything in Scripture, when we obey its commands we will reap the fruit of a good marriage and a happy home.
The above banner painting (left side) is by Frederick Morgan titled, “Out of Reach.”
(bending over has become quite a process!) I’m looking forward to a nice calm day with not much going on … I normally don’t like staying home and resting on weekends … but after over a month of rush, rush, rush … have a wedding, camp meeting in GA, go to a bridal shower, meet with friends, have some friends stay with you a couple days and then the day they leave, your grandmother comes for a visit … I’m plum worn out!!! Of course I had a blast while everything was happening though!
