By Heart to Heart

Pendulums. First they swing this way and then that. I grew up in the 60’s. They were turbulent times with assassinations and war, it was a violent era. It was also a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring the social movements of the era. That’s when hemlines went drastically up to support the free-love movement; and mini-skirts and hot pants became the rage. Of course, we also had tie-dye, paisley prints, go-go boots, bell-bottom jeans, and big hair. Not a good look, but it’s the mini-skirts and hot pants are my focus. It was the style. It was the only thing in the stores. It’s what I wore. Then a young preacher from a holiness background entered the picture. Most of our first dates would conclude with the preacher bringing out his Bible and asking me the question, “If I showed you in the Bible where something was wrong would you stop?” Of course, being head over heals in love with Jesus even as a youth I naturally told him, “Of, course.” But I have to tell you that it got real old real fast, and eventually when he would start to reach for the Bible at the end of a date I would cry, “what’s wrong with me now?” But my love for God and the new “man” in my life overcame my desire to be in style. Within a short time I was married to the young preacher and I was ushered into the holiness movement. Some of you come from the same kind of background so you know that I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that it was considered a sin for a woman to wear jewelry, make-up, pants, or skirts above the knee. Heaven and hell issues these were. But of course we were women, so we had our own styles that helped us feel pretty.

Fast-forward 20 something years and we are in Tinley Park starting a non-denominational church, leaving the movement that had been our “family” and many of the standards that had been a part of our lives. It was the best decision we ever made. But I have observed something in recent years that troubles me. It looks like the pendulum has swung the other direction. Letting go of standards, many women and young girls areembracing the styles of our world without thought to the biblical truth of modesty. If it’s the thing, they wear it, whether it’s pleasing to God or not. Just because we don’t pass out a list of do’s and don’ts doesn’t mean that modesty should be ignored. Nor does it mean that we should run around in frumpy clothes. I believe that we can be fashionable without putting our bodies on display. In today’s lesson we are going to be examining what a woman of God looks like. There won’t be too many do’s and don’ts, just some cautions and guidelines that will help us be the beautiful women that God created us to be.

 

I’ve spoken with women who seemed offended when I suggested a woman’s manner of dress could tempt a man to lust. They don’t denying the claim that men lust after women, but they are emphatic that women are not to blame for a man’s lustful thoughts and actions. They are right, of course. A person is never guilty of another person’s sin. But God does call us to be aware of how our actions affect others.

 

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.  Mark 9: 42-48 NIV

Pretty serious stuff here, Jesus wasn’t pulling any punches. So I’m not going to pull any punches in this lesson. Yes, men are responsible for their own lust issues, but we are also responsible for how we dress and how we behave. We do NOT want to be the cause of anyone to stumble. As Christian women we should concern ourselves with modesty because the bible does.