Modesty is such a hard issue. If you take a look at the online survey the Harris brothers ran, you can see there are quite different responses from guys in certain areas - http://bit.ly/DtpkC. It's not as if we can say one thing is modest and another isn't in some of these areas. Oftentimes it's where our heart is, and it's asking the question are we thinking critically about these areas.
However, ladies remember that guys are incredibly visual. When women dress immodestly it's difficult for a man, because ignoring it can be difficult or impossible. And we do appreciate when you dress modestly. In a culture where quite a bit of skin is constantly flashed in front of our eyes, it's actually refreshing to be around girls who you don't feel like you have to be constantly controlling your eyes and thoughts.. Desiring your wife is an amazing thing, but it's not an amazing thing when she is not your wife, that would be called sin. And I do appreciate it when girls try to dress modestly.
It always encourages me when I see women who take care that their appearance on the outside reflects the beauty within. Hence, while I do appreciate modesty I also really like when women express their personality in clothing. I absolutely hate seeing people who all dress the same as if they're all robots or crazed people from an asylum.
In conclusion, girls ask your dad and brothers (in Christ) what they think of your clothes. I hope that they would be willing to come to you if they saw issues, but sometimes you just have to ask.. And as kind of a personal pet peeve. Please don't just ask other girls/women. They're not guys, they won't necessarily see it in the same light.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Reproof
In today's culture it isn't cool to be dogmatic about anything except humanism. Part of the reason being that being a god to oneself is not a hard message to an already selfish person.
However, if you are going to be a friend to someone you are going to reprove them at some point. People are not perfect, and because of that, at some point your friend is going to do something sinful. That's why as a good friend you have to ultimately be okay with reproving them, because you love them. One of the hardest things to do is when you see sin in your friend's life having the love to be willing to tell them to quit and work with them through their sin. But here are three things you don't do.
Number one, you don't come by one time and tell them to quit and then leave. No. You have to stay involved. Sin is incredibly hard to deal with because our flesh loves it. It will be a battle and most of a time a long campaign that will last your entire life.
The second thing you don't do is avoid saying anything. Why would you not address it if you truly love them? (Well one reason, but we'll get there.) Don't you fear for their souls? Don't you love them enough to see them loving God and the others in their life more? Don't you want to see them repenting before God more?
Of course it takes wisdom, and relationships drive specificity. But the point is, when you do have a good relationship, why don't you minister to them?
Finally, don't go around reproving people when you have your own secret unrepentant sins you are dealing with. Of course, we will always be sinners, that won't change. But get that log out of your own eye before you go after the speck in your friend's eye.
Sunday Scriptures
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his nameJah, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. ~ Psalm 68:4-6
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Husbands That Don't Care and Leave
In my short life, there's one thing that has always saddened me. I see these homeschool families, their children are very involved in lots of events, the moms are running around doing things with them, and then you never ... see ... the ... dad. As a child I always wondered why this was. Well, you would see him occasionally on the outskirts of a large party, or at a graduation ceremony, etc. But he really wasn't involved.
Years pass, and then I eventually hear the inevitable, too often heard, story where the dad left. He left his wife and children, and went to live a miserable life serving himself. This problem really irks me. I hate uninvolved dads. They ruin their children's lives by not really being there, and then physically up and leaving.
But in reality, dad left years before. He was never there in the first place. He never conquered his lusts.
Dads are a very important part of a child's growing up process. (Moms are too, but that's not really the point, right now) They teach their children how to be men and women. They show their daughters what to look for in a man, as they lead by example. They show their sons how to act like men. Have you asked yourself why we have so many homosexuals? It's because of terrible fathers, who are either not there or they're abusive.
I do understand that our culture wants the men to look like little puppy dogs who the mom and kids walk all over. (I.e. Virtually all Disney shows) But God didn't make men this way. He gave them a desire to conquer.
But, too many men throw away their lives, and other people's lives in the hope of fulfilling their own fleshly lusts and desires. Men want to conquer, but sometimes all their conquering is reduced to is staring at flashing images on a screen with women who will do whatever they desire. They've become the miserable wretches that Disney/the world wants them to become.
Conquering is about conquering the flesh. It's about ignoring our own lustful desires for women, money, and power. It's about being a servant leader. Not a boy, who never grew up and has no reign over his flesh.
Sadly, we will fail. I've failed plenty of times at my young age. But thankfully God is good. And we will ultimately conquer with His help and the brothers that God has put in our lives to encourage/exhort/reprove.
In conclusion, I think one of the best things one can do at a young age, is to confess our sins and stay accountable to our friends. Living in darkness is what many of us do in our internet/techy age. Instead, we should expose our sins to the light, and pray that God will help us.
Years pass, and then I eventually hear the inevitable, too often heard, story where the dad left. He left his wife and children, and went to live a miserable life serving himself. This problem really irks me. I hate uninvolved dads. They ruin their children's lives by not really being there, and then physically up and leaving.
But in reality, dad left years before. He was never there in the first place. He never conquered his lusts.
Dads are a very important part of a child's growing up process. (Moms are too, but that's not really the point, right now) They teach their children how to be men and women. They show their daughters what to look for in a man, as they lead by example. They show their sons how to act like men. Have you asked yourself why we have so many homosexuals? It's because of terrible fathers, who are either not there or they're abusive.
I do understand that our culture wants the men to look like little puppy dogs who the mom and kids walk all over. (I.e. Virtually all Disney shows) But God didn't make men this way. He gave them a desire to conquer.
But, too many men throw away their lives, and other people's lives in the hope of fulfilling their own fleshly lusts and desires. Men want to conquer, but sometimes all their conquering is reduced to is staring at flashing images on a screen with women who will do whatever they desire. They've become the miserable wretches that Disney/the world wants them to become.
Conquering is about conquering the flesh. It's about ignoring our own lustful desires for women, money, and power. It's about being a servant leader. Not a boy, who never grew up and has no reign over his flesh.
Sadly, we will fail. I've failed plenty of times at my young age. But thankfully God is good. And we will ultimately conquer with His help and the brothers that God has put in our lives to encourage/exhort/reprove.
In conclusion, I think one of the best things one can do at a young age, is to confess our sins and stay accountable to our friends. Living in darkness is what many of us do in our internet/techy age. Instead, we should expose our sins to the light, and pray that God will help us.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Sunday Scriptures
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. ~ Psalm 121:1-3
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