Just read this today & appreciated Mrs. Shulls efforts to direct women in a better way. I do not know her-this is the first I have heard of her.
Cleavage, Bikinis, and Facebook
Straight Talk to Young Women
by Alyssa Shull Glad I got your attention. Let’s start by going in order of my title here.Cleavage
It says in 1 Corinthians 10:32, “Don’t cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God’s church” (GWT). I take that passage to mean this: Do your part to help someone not fall into sin. As a woman I strive to not portray my body in a way that would cause someone to lust. How do I do this? It starts with how I dress.When a female is wearing a shirt that shows off her cleavage, people usually look. I believe when a woman purposefully shows her cleavage it sends out the message: “Hey, here are my boobs, I want you to notice I have them.”
If our goal is to get men to notice our body then our affection is in the wrong direction. We are not acting in love. We are acting in selfishness and our attempt is to bring attention to ourselves and not to God. As a believer we shouldn’t want to cause our brothers in Christ to lust over us. Especially when the Bible says we shouldn’t.
If you didn’t know this already, men are very visual. It is the way God made them. As women of God, let’s make a conscious choice to not cause our brothers in Christ to stumble. Let’s not show off our breasts. Those are for your husband’s eyes only. Even if you’re not married yet they are for your future husband.
So, if you have a shirt that is low cut, put a tank top on underneath. I have tank tops in a bunch of different colors, and practically wear them with every outfit. I like to be extra careful, so I don’t have to worry if my shirt goes too low, I will already have a tank top on underneath.
I’m not saying to wear turtlenecks, I’m just saying to make sure no crack in the front or the back is showing.
Bikinis
Would you walk into an apartment complex and strip down to your bra and panties? Probably not. So then why do we think it’s okay to wear bikinis in front of people? It shows the same exact amount of skin, it’s just made out of a different material.Our culture believes bikinis are socially okay and no big deal. It’s simply what we wear to the pool. I disagree with this thought. There are many beliefs in the world that we as the church should not embrace.
Our bodies are not our own; they were bought at a price. It says in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (NIV). This body isn’t something I can just do whatever I want with. I need to be honoring God with everything I do, and that includes the way I dress.
You may be reading this rolling your eyes, and thinking I am totally old-school. But for the first 22 years of my life all I wore were bikinis. It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit convicted me 3 years ago that I started wearing *bathing suits that had more coverage. So, if you are thinking I’m a crazy lady, take it to prayer, and ask God if a bikini is something you should be wearing or not.
The purpose of a bikini is either to look sexy or get a good tan. I don’t think either excuse is a good reason if it keeps men in bondage to lust. Something to meditate on ladies.
I am going to say something that may shock you: I fully believe that this is soft porn. Yes, porn. Pornography by definition is: writings, pictures, films, etc, designed to stimulate sexual excitement. Pictures of women showing cleavage, in bikinis and other sexual positions are a form of soft porn since your body is in a position that can stimulate men sexually.
One pose that is very popular right now is “The Ho Shot” or “The Prostitute Shot.” This is when a girl takes a picture of herself from above and you get a good look down her shirt. The reason this is called the prostitute shot is because this is how prostitutes take pictures of themselves. It enhances the look of the breasts and because of the position it is taken in (enough said). I’ve seen even 12-year olds taking pictures like this.
In a study of 1000 girl scouts aged 14-17, 74% said they believe “most girls my age use social networking sites to make themselves look cooler than they really are.” Also, 22% of girls with low self-esteem claim they portray a “sexy” image on social networks; 14% of girls with higher self-esteem said the same.
You will attract what you put out there. If you want someone to honor you and your body then start by honoring and respecting your body. This goes for Facebook as well. Oxford professor Susan Greenfield reminds us, when you are posting information on Facebook, you don’t have the benefit of other people’s immediate reactions. “[It] makes it easier to reveal yourself in a way that you might not be comfortable with,” says Greenfield. “You become less conscious of the individuals involved, less inhibited, less embarrassed and less concerned about how you will be evaluated.”
Be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else. You are a beautiful shining woman of God. You don’t have to try to enhance anything. Just smile and be yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). You are beautiful!
Love you Ladies! Believing for a generation of godly women to rise up and stand for purity!
*Note from P.F. --As far as "bathing suits" go I'm not sure what Mrs.Shull had in mind, but I'm persuaded that a "full suit" instead of a bikini would not be something Avrahams (Abraham's) wife Sarah, or any of the early women disciples would conform to. I have found some full body coverage swim dresses with leggings on Israeli & Muslim swimsuit sites. I bought one from Israel & they sent me a card with it that showed the swim times their beaches have for women only. What a blessing to have beaches free from lustful activities. Thankfully there is still places in Israel upholding modest practices between men & women.
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