By Deborah South
I Peter 1:15 says, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
I want to be a lady in every way, every day. I don’t want there to ever be a doubt that I am a lady. Isn’t it funny how the world knows that a lady should be different? When we consider that we are daughters of the King and want to please Him, shouldn’t we take a step up and be a distinctively Christian lady?
Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren,…that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,…”
God says to be different from the world. Paul was begging them to give God everything; it is our reasonable service!
Refer to our text verse I Peter 1:15 above.
The word “conversation” means your entire lifestyle – actions/talk/appearance – God says be holy.
I Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Our body is not ours! We are bought with a price!
I Peter 2:9a, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;…”
As a lady, we have a great honor and privilege to serve our King. Sometimes we do not act like it, but it does not change the fact that we are not of this world.
Titus 2:12, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly…”
God has a lot to say about being holy. For a long time, I could not understand why so many believers struggle with doing right. While reading Psalm 55:19b jumped out at me, “…Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.” I realized that there is no fear of God and that brings about no distinctive change.
We, as Christians, have followed the world so much that the sinner sees no reason to respect our God.
Here are a few things that I hope will help us to be a lady that is distinctively Christian. I want to be an example, not only because others are watching, but my King is watching as well.
I have watched my mom. If she decided to quit church, use vulgar language, dress like the world, etc… I would wonder what happened and ask, “Did she not believe in her heart that she should be different from the world?”
It is not in your heart to be different, you may do it outwardly, but inwardly you will not make any changes. Here are three areas where you can be distinctively Christian.
Countenance – Is there any joy in you? There are enough things in this world to bring us down. We should have joy! If you listen to the news, you can get frustrated. Then you go to the store and the cashier gets the brunt of your attitude as you tell her all the things wrong in the world! Stop and ask yourself, “Will this help anyone? Am I being a witness and example to anyone listening?”
Do you have a smile that you can share even when you can’t say a word? Can a person look at you and know by your countenance that you are distinctively Christian? Or do people tiptoe around you?
What about your attitude at church and home? Do your kids know you as the sweet lady that shouts and praises God at church, but they don’t cross you at home? Are you praising today and in despair tomorrow? Your children know you! Are you kind to every other child or the brothers/sisters of others but hateful to your own? Do you give a smile to your pastor and those at church, but your family can’t do a thing to make you happy?
Concerns. What are your priorities? A lady has to balance many jobs. Do you let God handle your concerns, your priorities? Serving God is our first priority, but our other priorities depend on our stage in life. The priority of a young person is to obey their parents. If you are a wife and mother, your priority is your husband first and then your children. Don’t let priorities get out of place.
Clothes. Do you ever stop at a red light? Do you go the speed limit? We are thankful when others follow the law. Laws are not bad. Why do we want to push away standards when it comes to our clothing?
I Timothy 2:9a; 10a, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, …(which becometh women professing godliness)...”
A distinctive Christian lady can be a godly example when dressed modestly. We also are a help to our Christian brothers who, many times, have to fight to keep their minds pure because of immodest women at work, etc. It is wrong for them to come to church and have to fight the same battles because we are not distinctively Christian in what we are wearing.
What are some areas we can watch for?
Too short – If you tug and pull to get your clothing to cover your knees, it is too short. I know that some ladies have long legs and even when a hem line is long enough, it may not appear long enough. Err on the side of caution. Get a skirt extender or add material to your clothing. If you are on the platform at church, keep in mind that those sitting in the congregation are getting a full view of your legs. A longer length is good. (There is
nothing pretty about a knee!)
Too sheer – if you can see your underclothes, others can too.
Too tight –If my pastor needed me to go pray with someone at the altar, am I going to have to figure out a position so that my backside is not accentuated? Is my clothing loose enough that I can “pinch an inch”?
Too low – bend over in front of a mirror. If you can see down your blouse, it is too low.
Too much flesh - Sleeveless items have become common. How can we be covered when we are showing so much? I’m amazed that the Muslim people are more modest in their clothing than many Christians, and they serve a god in fear that does not even love them!
Too manly – If someone saw me from behind, could they tell I was a lady? The Bible set a standard for God’s people to be different. Looking in history, we see when women started dressing like men. It was embarrassing to begin with and then it was accepted. God wants us to be distinctively Christian. If a man walked into our church today in a dress how would we react? People wore robes in Bible times. One could tell a man from a woman by their clothing. You could tell a harlot by her clothing. You knew a widow by her garments. There was a difference.
Mothers need to be careful how they dress their little girls. Are we allowing them to wear things as a child that we would not want them to wear as a teenager? If so, why not start training them now? Leggings under dresses may be nice, but little girls still need to be taught how to sit like a lady so that when they get to be big girls they are not immodest!
We should be distinctively Christian in all areas- our countenance, concerns, and clothes.
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