From my brother in law...

My brother in law, Toby, is a pastor of a church in Greenville, NC. He posts his sermons, mediations, and theological studies regularly on his blog. This is an old post from January.

Daughters of the King

In 1 Peter 3 and 1 Timothy 2 there are exhortations to women and wives in particular. In both places the apostles address the clothing and adornment of women. The fact that this comes up twice in the New Testament by two different apostles means that it is something that needs to be addressed, and that God thinks it’s worth repeating and thinking about. While men are rightly exhorted to maintain purity and flee from lusts, women need to be exhorted to flee from temptations to be lusted after. God made men to want to desire a woman, and conversely, he made women to want to be desired by a man. Of course this is a Creation design which is meant to be fulfilled in marriage. But the sinful hearts of men and women twist this to their destruction. And this tendency in women reveals itself in the need for male attention. Sometimes it shows up when young girls are eager to talk to their father’s friends or sit in their laps. Sometimes a young lady is flirtatious and overly chatty. It may mean that she dresses ostentatiously or immodestly. Other times it is less obvious. A girl may designate herself matchmaker and begin trying to hook up all her friends. Or what is becoming increasingly common; young ladies try to dress up like it’s Halloween all the time. Sure, they may not look like a Valley Girl or a Prom Queen, but they’re still crying out for attention, love, and security beneath all that black makeup. Girls that are tomboys are really after the same thing. Of course, every woman is different, every young lady has particular gifts, callings, likes and dislikes. But you are called to adorn yourself with grace and gentleness, and you must cultivate a godly disdain for the lies the world is busy throwing at you. Learn to mock the pictures you see in the magazines at the checkout counters. Make fun of their foolishness, their stupidity, their emptiness. You are daughters of the King. You are his prized possessions. He has adorned you with his own righteousness. Do not wish that you could wear the rags of those beggars out there.