Wednesday, May 1, 2013

girl's night

Last night I went out to dinner after work with 2 of my favorite co-workers. It was a place I'd never been before, but supposedly had good happy hour stuff and it was one of the girl's favorites and had outdoor seating. So we get there and instantly I did not even feel pretty enough to be there. Every girl was like a model and you could tell all the guys were rating everyone. It was like a meat market. I went to the bathroom and took a moment to pray and ask God to help me be confident in who He made me to be. And to make me a woman who is beautiful in ways that really matter. I felt better after that, and the food was amazing, and we had good talks and laughs together.
But it does warrant further thought. How does a woman "be a woman" and be feminine without that just meaning trying to be sexy? I don't even know.
I love google, it has helped me so much, here's what I found in one of my searches:
Women must find their worth and identity in who they are in Christ. What Christ finds precious is described in 1 Peter 3:3-6 which says, “Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” There is nothing evil about wearing makeup, nice dresses, braiding the hair, or donning gold jewelry (see Ezekiel 16:1-19 in which God metaphorically describes Himself giving Israel jewelry and nice clothing). What is evil is making outward appearance the sole objective and goal to define womanhood or to find worth. Womanhood is not based first and foremost upon outer appearance but in the state of one’s heart.
A godly woman is a comfort and a companion, one whom a godly husband can trust and delight in (Proverbs 31:11). Her tenderness and peaceableness is the adornment which God says is definitive of a woman of God. Women should dress like women, and they have the right Biblically to take care of themselves outwardly, even doing what they can to look their best, if they so desire (and their husbands probably do so desire). Outward beauty is not evil in and of itself, and neither is having a pleasant, elegant personality. The Bible condemns preoccupation with the external because it is vain, and it condemns charm that is deceitful, seductive, and manipulative because such is devilish, evil, ungodly, and riddled with lies. In God’s view, it is the woman who fears the Lord who is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
True womanhood is not found in a woman trying to see how many men she can get to check her out. She is not to seduce them by lust, but she is to attract a godly man by her own godliness. Her adornment can be external as long as it is modest, discreet, and proper. This does not necessarily equate to bland and unstylish, but it does mean taking care not to stumble men into sin.
A woman must guard her heart above all else, and she must be free to be who God made her to be. She is different than man, she is the complement for man, and she has different roles in marriage than the man. True womanhood is doing all that she does, regardless of where she presently is in life, to the honor and glory of God by honoring His Word. Truly, a woman who fears the Lord is a difficult find (as is a man who fears the Lord), but these will be praised by the husbands who are blessed enough to marry them, by those who are treated kindly by them, by the children who are raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by them, and ultimately by the Lord Himself.
Wow! What a goal to live up to.
Also, I've heard this song a few days on the radio now and I love it! I love these lyrics: "Why do I try to work outside of you? Knocking down doors I should be going through, But I’m so tired, I’m so tired, You take my burdens off of my shoulders, You break the lies that hold me back, I’m not sure enough. You’re my revival song, you start where I belong, On my knees, on my knees, When I am weak or strong you meet me here, When I’m on my knees, on my knees."
Lol, before I saw the lyrics I thought it said "when I am weak you're strong", whoops, I like my version better tho :)

2 comments:

  1. This is such a good post and something I def need to remember. I just love that you went in the bathroom to pray. I need to do this more when I feel insecure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Some of the things I find most attractive about Michelle are her smarts, her confidence, her wisdom, her humor... etc. If you find the right guy, looks won't be everything.

    (Though, I admit, it IS what draws guys to girls in the first place. Fair or not. Doesn't mean they should be all "meat market" about it. But anyway, even if looks were all that mattered, you'd have nothing to worry about!)

    ReplyDelete