Faith and Family

I know of no other topic discussed among Christians that is as controversial as clothing choices. (And I may live to regret the day I decided to broach the subject on my blog! :)) My own friends’ preferences vary widely, and I think there’s a range of freedom in Christ that we all have to follow our consciences and bring glory to God through our different choices. But I think the topic deserves much prayer and constant evaluation by every Christian woman.

Why should it matter what we wear in public? I can think of several reasons:

1. Everything we do (even eating and drinking) should be done for the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31)

2. God wants us to be “chaste.” (Titus 2:4-5) That involves keeping certain sights “on reserve” for your husband or your future husband.

3. Christian women ought to show love for our brothers in Christ by not tempting them to lust at us. (Romans 14:13) Yes, our Christian brothers need to discipline themselves to not sin in their hearts, but we can show love by not making it so difficult for them. (In some cases, they cannot possibly look at a woman at all without seeing something they should not see. This puts them in an awkward position, for sure.)

As women, wired a bit differently than men in some ways, it can be hard to understand what types of clothing do/don’t present a detrimental distraction for men. You may be wondering, “So, should I just wear a turtleneck covered with a burlap sack that reaches the floor for the rest of my life?” No, that would be a bit extreme. To help you make balanced choices, check out this survey:

http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/

Hundreds of Christian men answered this survey to help us understand exactly what types of things can cause a distraction. Note: This was NOT a “fundamentalist” survey. The hundreds of men who responded to this survey most likely came from a broad range of evangelical Christianity.

May God give you wisdom as you seek to bring Him glory in everything!

Today I was searching for verses that address specific struggles my preschool children face as they’re learning to obey and show kindness to others. I’m assembling a document that Dan and I can use when teaching and disciplining. We’d much rather use Biblical language (”When your brother yells at you, use a soft answer in return.” than “When your brother yells at you, don’t yell back.”) when we can.

Well, my study took a bit of a detour, because I kept finding verses that apply to ME! (So now we have a “Mommy and Daddy” document going too…)  Look at these verses from Proverbs 15 in the context of parenting, and see if you aren’t as convicted as I am!

Prov. 15

1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly… 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.…17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.… 22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. 23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!… 28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.