Not Just A Lady, But God's Lady Pt. 2

I began last week on a series on being a lady. In part 1 I talked about the importance of the father, teaching about the Heavenly Father, and being a positive role model for our little girls. They need that validation from both their father and their Heavenly Father in order to build their confidence early. Their dependence in God helps them understand that if they can’t do it, with God, they are then able to. This week, I want to go into that little girl growing up and becoming a lady and what is needed in order for her to grow up into God’s lady.

Growing Up

As an educator, one of my favorite things to share with young people during events like back-to-school bashes or other community events is a quote from Colossians 3:23-25 which says (ESV), “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” I like to share this because as children get older, they become more conscience of their peers and what their peers think of them. They begin to fall into the “wrong crowd” because they are trying to prove something. First of all, that validation talked about earlier helps children to not fall into this so easily and the other thing: teaching them diligently. We can’t just say something to our kids and then tell them to figure out the rest. As they grow up, we have to continue to teach as situations change and/or become more complex. If children are taught to the point that they understand that their works are to serve God, it helps them a whole lot as they get older. Their school work, chores, extra-curricular activities should all be done in a manner to please God. As long as their focus is to please God, pleasing their peers is not as important because they will understand that their peers do not compare to God. This is strictly to say that this will help in their decisions and they begin to feel convicted when they do wrong and will want to strive to do right. But it begins with teaching them.

As girls are growing up, they should be taught how to carry themselves as a respectable woman, or lady. This is important because what you put out is what you get back. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (ESV) says, “…likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold and pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness---with good works.” Now in this scripture, Paul was addressing the standards of a place of prayer because this particular place was out of order, so he was putting order back. Now, I know fashion from back then is different from fashion now and certain things now would not have been ok to wear then, but we all know what is too much and what isn’t! Women, if you are going to dress your daughters, first make sure you are dressed accordingly (you’re the model), and make sure they are dressed respectably also. What I take out of this scripture is the fact that if you are professing Christ, professing Godliness, then it needs to show. If you are being what I like to call “flashy” then your mind is about you, not God and what attention you can get from others, not pleasing God. I love how Proverbs 11:22 (NSV) say it, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.” Wow. Women we have to make the right choices, for ourselves and for our daughters so that they will know how to carry themselves throughout life.

Standards

Women, we all know we should have a certain level of standards. There are certain ways we should carry ourselves. For those of us with that validation and diligently taught the commandments and word of God, having standards and sticking to them is easier, but for those of you that did not have these foundational things growing up, but is working to live in line with the word of God, you have to have standards and you HAVE to stick to them. If we are going to dress respectably, we need to also actually respect ourselves. Dressing respectably isn’t a punishment or meant to feel like you can’t be happy. It shows everyone that you have respect for yourself and that they better have respect for you, too! Proverbs 4:23 talks about guarding your heart and affection. You can’t just keep putting yourself out there to everyone you meet. That isn’t protecting yourself. You guard it, you protect it, you respect it. When others see that you have this standard, if they will rise to it (or try) or walk away. If they walk away, let them. They are telling you right there that they do not respect you enough to meet your standards.

1 Corinthians 5:33 (NSV) says, “Don’t be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals””. Ladies, be careful with who you keep as your company. In other words, choose your friends wisely. Some people you have to just keep at a distance or drop altogether. I practiced this even in high school, not knowing about this scripture. I had a friend that was too promiscuous for my comfort. I wasn’t that type of girl, and I really didn’t want people thinking I was or even that I was ok with it just by my association with her. I quickly began to distance myself from her, not completely shutting her out because I wanted to continue to be an example for her and plant that seed of Godliness. But if you are in a situation where you strongly feel you need to let them go completely, please do. You can plant that seed and close the door behind them. =) But we have to be careful who we keep as our company.

Now, speaking of that promiscuous friend, LADIES, no sex before marriage! We are ladies, we must conduct ourselves as such. Some of us may have messed up, but get it right! And keep it right! 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NSV) says, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body.” Fornication is included in this. If it is not between a MAN and a WOMAN that are MARRIED, run from it! Ladies, if you are married (to a man, I have to specify that), enjoy yourselves! For the marriage bed is undefiled, “for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” Hebrew 13:4 (NSV).

Continue reading this series in God’s Lady Pt. 3 (Relationships and Marriage)

Feel free to leave a comment or your experiences!

Not Just A Lady, But God's Lady

I taught a message in June 2013 by the name of this same title. My husband preaches messages through the form of conference calls and did a series on the family. I did a portion talking specifically to the women. I really enjoyed this not because of what I was talking about or the fact that I got to share something, but because of the studying that went into it. I had never studied like that before and it encouraged me to continue studying the Bible in depth rather than seeking out one scripture to fit into whatever it may be that I’m going through at that time. I learned so much, and I was ready to learn more! Here are some of the things I learned:

Growing up, some of us girls are taught to be “ladies”. Sometimes we are not taught why, though. You will find that “why” is a frequent question for me.  Some little children are always asking “why?” and well, I didn’t quite grow out of that! But that’s a great thing because a lot of times, our problem is that we are not asking “why?”……… So, young girls are taught to be ladies and lady-like, but I want to share with you why and what it means to be God’s lady, a lady of righteousness. Let’s start with the little girl.

Little Girls

The very first thing I can think of that a little girl needs to even think about beginning a righteous life is a father. We talk about how important fathers are for boys, but they are just as important for girls. Basically, fathers are important and needed big time! But girls need their father’s validation. They need that “stamp of approval”. I can remember growing up and genially felt confident because of two reasons. One reason was because my dad was a hero to me and he told me how great I was (smart, pretty, responsible, etc.). When other kids tried to say bad things about me, it was nothing because I would always come back with, “Well my daddy said…” and that was all I needed. My dad would say it, and that was all the explanation I needed. He said I was smart, I studied more. He said I was pretty, no one could call me ugly. He said he liked how I was always reading a book, I read even more. Because he had a positive impact on my life and he held the family together and kept us in good health and safe, every good thing about me that he complimented, I grew in. He was doing his job as a father and shaped me to become a positive, well rounded woman. Ephesians 6:4 (ESV) says “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”. Had my father not done his job as a father, I would have grown up in anger, trying to find myself, looking for validation in the wrong people or things, frustrated from trying to fill a hole that I wouldn’t even have known what was supposed to be there.

I mentioned that I was confident because of two reasons. The first was because of my dad and his validation. There was something else that he did that led to the second reason. At the end of Ephesians 6:4 it says, “…instruction of the Lord”. My father raised me and my brother with the fear of God. I was confident in myself because I had my father’s validation and I knew I was a child of God. From the time I was about 7 or 8 years old, I was saved and knew Christ as my Lord and Savior. I knew I belonged in the Kingdom of God and because He is great, I was great. I would let the other kids know that them being mean didn’t bother me because I had Jesus! I remember being in the lunch line in second grade and telling another kid that, and they left me alone! I had my father’s validation and my Heavenly Father’s validation. This is what our little girls need, their fathers and their fathers to teach them about their Heavenly Father. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 talks about loving God, following His commandments, and teaching them to our children. And He said to teach them “diligently” meaning teach it carefully, with importance and not just saying, “God is real, he created the world, and he died for our sins, the end”. You have to teach the word and the commandments as if you are teaching them to drive. You don’t just put your child in a car and say, “okay, drive!” No, we take it step by step, answer questions, have discussions, pray together, teach through example…which leads to the next part:

Role Models

We are to be role models for our children. Fathers and mothers, you are your little girl’s role model when it comes to following Christ (Ephesians 5:1). Mothers, you are your daughter’s role model when it comes to being a lady (1 Timothy 4:11-16). Whether you are doing right or doing wrong, people are watching, especially your children. Be a good role model for them. They will follow what you do more than what you say anyway. Keep your actions and attitudes in check so that you may make a positive impact not only in your children’s lives but even the other people you encounter every day. They are all watching. Do you like what they are seeing? Does God like what they are seeing? Think about it.

Continue reading this series in God’s Lady pt.2 (Growing Up and Having Standards) coming next week!

Feel free to leave a comment or your experiences!

The Sabbath

This is my first post on this blog. After setting up the blog, I had to decide what I wanted to start off talking about. What would make a great first post? When I reached this topic, it wasn’t an extraordinary moment. Simply put, today is the Sabbath.  I’ve created this blog during the Sabbath during my day of resting, worshiping and in The Word. This entire idea came from me praying for a solution to reach people and for people to reach back. We are living in the last days and we keep hearing and saying that, but we are! Body of Christ, we have to do better! We have to do more! More needs to be said! More needs to be explained! So this idea of blogging to reach people came about during my prayer and meditation while observing the Sabbath.

Let’s talk about the Sabbath now. We all mention the Sabbath when we say “Even God rested on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:1-3), but there are several other references to the Sabbath throughout the Bible. It is even one of the Ten Commandments. My question is why? Why is it so important? My husband and I began observing the Sabbath day and felt more like we were in bondage. We were like, “We can’t do this, and we can’t do that. We can’t do this either!” So, we had to seek God and understand what exactly his purpose is for the Sabbath. My husband and I began to reach that understanding at about the same time but in different ways. I was reading through Exodus and reached the part where God was explaining that they (Israel) need to observe the Sabbath.

Exodus 16:22-30 (ESV) On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.

This is where it all made sense to me. God gave us the Sabbath day. A gift. It is good for us. It is a day of rest. He wants us to REST! I messed up because we can be so career driven, work driven and don’t want to just sit down because we “have too much to do.” That was my mistake. I was thinking from the perspective of “I can’t do anything!” when it should have been “I need to get everything done, so I can relax tomorrow!” God had Israel gather double on the sixth day in order to be prepared and comfortable on the seventh day. I thought, “That’s it! I need to make sure everything is done during the week, then on the seventh day I can rest with no worries, no still wondering what needs to be done. But this is why we have the Sabbath because if it were not for it, we would never stop and smell the roses, as they say! I thank God for the Sabbath day, a day of rest, prayer, worship, study, and just spending that time with God. We are still learning the proper way to observe the day and getting out of the habit of what was normal routine. Here are some links to help in your studies on the Sabbath that I have found helpful:
http://www.openbible.info/topics/the_sabbath_day

 http://yrm.org/Honorthesabbathday.htm

Feel free to add your thoughts!