Page 6 - Sarah's Children

Even men who do not know Christ are drawn to the image of one who is adorned
modestly and with humility. My wife has corresponded with a number of other
women who are making the same life changes as they seek to be conformed to God’s
desire for them, and they are giving amazing reports about how they frequently
encounter unusual and positive reactions from men young and old who are blessed
just by seeing them adorn themselves modestly and humbly.

Some women have objected that adorning themselves in this scriptural way strikes
them as vanity in that it draws attention to the woman. Yet what woman that goes
clothes shopping does not consider how she will appear to others? Why choose to put
on the fashions of the world that accentuate the sexuality of womanhood, when as
Christians we are to demonstrate heavenly virtues to the world?

Yes, women who dress modestly and with humility will stand out and attract
attention, but should not light stand out in the midst of darkness? Should not people
be attracted to the light? A city set on a hill cannot be hid. We are not called to be
invisible, we are to attract others attention that they might ask us the reason of the
hope that is in us (I Peter 3:15). The Christian man or woman should stand out and
be noticed, but what people are attracted to in us should be godly, not physical or
carnal.

How many women would not truly like men to look upon them as someone who is
holy, someone whom men regard with righteous admiration? However, due to the
cultural resistance, the necessity of humility, and the need to crucify one’s flesh,
many women have opted instead to gain man’s admiration through physical and
carnal means. Yet the former admiration is holy and pure, the latter is sensual and
defiled and it will eventually lead to the woman being treated in a manner devoid of
all respect. Ironically, the excuse most women give for rejecting Yahweh’s plan for
their life is that they want respect and they feel that the Biblical teaching on
womanhood, submission, humility, and a quiet and gentle spirit, would rob them of
this respect. They fear becoming a doormat to men.

It is a paradox in the Kingdom of God that the path to respect is a path of humility.
One must die to their soulish desires and crucify their flesh with its pride, but the one
who humbles him/her self will be exalted. Many seek respect with pride intact, but
protecting one’s pride is the pathway to debasement in the Kingdom. We are told
that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, I Peter 5:5).
If we humble ourselves under His hand, in due time He will exalt us. These things
are a paradox, and many have failed to gain godly respect and admiration because
they have rejected the path of humility.

Again, some would argue that we are not to be concerned about the opinions of
others at all. This assertion does not bear up under the scrutiny of scripture,