Peace in Subjection

Notice the delicate petals of this poppy flower yielding to the wind that directs it's every move.

Many people do not understand the love of God. Many people believe that God loves them so much He looks the other way when they sin. And after they sin He simply smiles and draws them into His arms, because He understands their weakness to sin. He never hates them or what they do, He just simply understands & will go on loving them no matter what they do. Even if He wants them to do certain things, & tells them to do certain things, --if they don't obey Him, He simply forgives & covers over their disobedience, & seeks to pour out His blessings upon them.

 Many women expect their husbands to be the same way. They don't find it needful to really do what he says; and when they don't do what he says, they expect him to continue to pour out blessings upon them. Many women have been defiled by the modern world & it's influence on marriage. True Biblical marriage the way God intended is nothing like what we hear & see today in the media, in Psychology, etc. I think it's even difficult for women who were raised with somewhat good examples to really accept & stay in their place as a meek & humble, help meet to their husband. There is a strong influence in our time to be a SELF-Seeker. The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 says that love, "seeketh not her own". There is a true joy & blessing that comes when we remember & labor to seek the good of others before our own; especially the good of our husband & children.

 We all need correction & reproof, without it we will go on in error.

Hebrews12:5-9  "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:   For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.   If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?   But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? "

There have been many times when I have not appreciated correction & reproof--at least not at the first. If we really understand & believe that the one correcting us is doing it because they love us, it can be easier to keep our hearts & ears open to it. But in those times we are not persuaded that it is a correction born of love, for Christ's sake we need to learn to bear words of exhortation. A meek heart will have peace in subjecting itself for Christ's sake. 

1Chronicles 16:11  "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually." We must seek His face continually, that we may be ever ready to bear a word of exhortation without taking offense.

Being a Godly Wife isn't about having a white picket fence, baking bread & cookies, sewing your family's clothes & having a handful of children. I believe being a Godly wife has a lot to do with having peace subjecting yourself to your husband no matter what the cost. This takes an earnest seeking of God's face for God's grace---that you may have His grace to be a faithful helpmeet to your husband at all times, especially in times of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16  "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

This requires a labor of love done in secret not something all the neighbors see & praise us for.

 1Peter 3:4  "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

I believe it takes earnest prayer fighting against sin & self to attain unto this meek & quiet spirit.

Remember dear sisters when you feel overwhelmed in your place as a helpmeet, Christ was tempted, yet He kept Himself from sin; He labored in prayer. We too must labor & come boldly to the throne of grace. This is a serious issue. Consider the Holy Women Of Old, search the Scriptures for examples that were set of their obedience & subjection to their husbands.

What a blessing we can be to our husbands & children & future generations if we leave behind an example of a yielded wife. I see a delicate flower arrayed in glorious colors gracefully bending where the wind blows it, yet strongly rooted in it's place. We all love the work of God's hands, it cheers our hearts to see flowers & trees & animals; things that do what they were made to do. Wives embrace the place God has designed for you = & you will have peace being in subjection to your husbands. Amen.     

Cleavage, Bikinis, and Facebook

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

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Guest Author

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.

Facebook

I am constantly seeing cleavage and bikinis in profile pictures on Facebook. Talk about taking “wearing it out in public” to a whole new level.
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.