I’ve been meaning to (and have been asked about) hosting another Feelin’ Feminine Challenge. I really feel like this is something all ladies should be encouraged in, especially now that it’s summer and I see girls wearing halter-tops and mini-skirts/shorts. I wish I could just tell them about modesty and about what true beauty is. It’s not just about “beauty of the heart”. It’s about beauty of being a woman, a precious gem. The world has so distorted the definition of beauty, modesty, and woman. It really has and it makes me sad to see these young girls dressing in such a fashion because they don’t know any other way, and if modesty has been presented to them it’s most likely been with a superior attitude so they rejected it.

I’m working on a project that will hopefully help encourage and teach young ladies how to dress modestly. I’m hoping it will be done within the next month, but I don’t know how much time I will have to work on it. When it is done I think it will be an excellent resource for girls to have to learn, share, and teach others about feminine modesty.

The Challenge:

So again this week I want to challenge young ladies to dress modestly feminine. To display the inner beauty God has given to us and to show others that you can be stylishly modest. To view the original “rules” about this challenge, please read them HERE.

I also want to challenge the gentlemen who read this to share their thoughts on the importance of modesty and do five things this week that encourage the young ladies they know (sisters, cousins, blogger friends, etc) to be femininely modest.

What’s Your Story:

I also want to invite you to, not only post your thoughts, photos, and things you did this next week, but to share your story of how to began to realize the worth in being feminine and modest. Did you ever balk against it? Did you ever think it was stupid? What changed your heart? Is it a matter of your beliefs? When you’re done writing it I want to challenge you to print it off 5x and then send it to 5 of your girlfriends to read and invite them to do the challenge next month!

My Story:

I didn’t used to agree with the idea of Biblical Femininity, but God changed my heart.

In 2005 when I played softball I wore shorts that came just above my knees. I was comfortable wearing them, and I just hated skirts. Wearing skirts was stupid and they were for the ‘goody-goody’ homeschool families, whose daughters did nothing but cook/clean and submit. However, after Mother Dear bought me a skirt, against my wishes, and made me wear it a few times… I realized that I felt pretty in skirts, and they defined me from other girls and boys. I mean, how often is it that you see a girl in a knee-length skirt?

I started reading the Bible more, instead of fighting against it, and reading about a Biblical woman was and what it represented. It didn’t seem like such a burden as it did before. I suppose it was presented to me in a bad light in the beginning, and I think that’s why so many are against it (and also they want what is comfortable to them so they have a circumstantial-faith).

Unfortunately, then, my sister was no help and discouraged me in this area. She made it seem like if I did all the things that these “goody-goody’ homeschool families” did that I was a terrible person and I was, in a way, betraying her. She fought hard against my mother in this area, and I always felt like I had to join her or she wouldn’t like me.

In the midst of that, I felt I had to follow the Titus 2 Woman mandate or I wasn’t being a “good” Christian. I knew what it said was right, yet still I balked at it. I didn’t want to be told that I had to wear skirts. I didn’t want to wash all the dishes and fold the laundry. I didn’t want respect my parents or delight myself in Lord in everything. I just didn’t want to, but I don’t think Jesus didn’t want to die on that cross but he did. It’s not about what we want. It’s about what He wants.

God wasn’t done with me yet. He kept working on my heart. He kept giving me small nudges towards the teachable spirit I have today.

As I kept searching, I found books, articles, and then I found several bloggers who were seeking to fulfill and become a Titus 2 Woman. This encouraged me greatly and I began to an interest in it even more. I began to read and research Scripture more and as I did I got a better understanding everything… and I wanted to follow.

In my searchings, I have found that in a way Jesus portrayed the role that He wants me to portray. All through the Scriptures you will find that Jesus was humble, obedient, loyal to his Father’s will, and self-less. Now, after having my eyes opened to this I see why this is asked of us women, and I’m honoured in the role that has been bestowed on me. It tries myself self-control and will. It challenges me to be strong and to fight against my flesh.

The feminist-view today is completely opposite of what God has for women. It is a “free” world where people are told to express themselves and not hold back. No self-control, which is why we have scantily-clad girls walking around. They can dress how they want to, “it’s their body”, and are encouraged in it.

I’m not sure what the deciding factor was for me or why my opinion of the matter changed so drastically, but it did. God took my heart, added the Living Water so it softened, and then He molded me.

As I’ve learned sometimes we really really really have to lay down our ideals and our opinions of things like this and listen to… Him, who is the Holy one. I used to fight my Mother about being feminine because I was fine just the way I was. When I put myself in her position I found that she wasn’t trying to mold me to be just like “so-and-so”. She was just trying to follow the Word, protect me from wandering eyes, and keep me pure.

I still had (have) a lot to learn in this area though. When I decided to be in complete agreement with the feminine idea I took it too seriously. I thought everyone who didn’t dress modestly, stay at home, be the Titus 2 Woman were below me. I had a serious superiority attitude, which I had to let the Lord work on and He did. He showed me that, rather than being judgmental, I need to try to understand (because I was once at that place) that some have not been informed and others have had it misrepresented to them. He has called me to be a light to young ladies and teach them what the Lord has revealed to me.

Here are some verses I found on dressing ourselves. This first one, I think, is telling us that we should not worry so much about our apparel that is becomes an uncomfortable subject. We should just dress modestly so we can worry about clothing our spirits in strength and honour in our Lord so that when the time comes (when He returns) we may rejoice.

Proverbs 31:25

“Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in the time to come”.

1 Peter 3: 3

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 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.”

This one in 1 Peter really speaks volumes on what’s important. It goes on about how we shouldn’t worry about the adornments of wearing gold or the styling of the hair, and then at the end it says that the most priced adornments on a woman in the sight of God is a meek and quiet spirit.

1 Timothy 2:9:

“In like manner also, that woman adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array.”

I don’t think that Paul was trying to make women look as plain as he could, but he was really trying to tell them that it’s not gold, pearls or costly array that makes a women modest and pure, which is another reason not to spend money on the latest-and-greatest fashion.

I’m striving to become the Woman of God He made me to be. I want to follow the words of the Scripture and encourage others to do the same, even when we’re not comfortable. May God continue to work and mold my heart and yours too.

I also hope you will visit a few of the blogs on the Feelin’ Feminine blogroll and join yourself.

Blessings!