DAY#20
Today's topic - RESPONSES FROM LISTENERS
Today's verse is Proverbs 31:20 - "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy."
Sometimes as 'young girls' we feel silly if our Mom or Dad is telling us what to wear, and when our friends are around, we get a little embarrassed or angry. Yet they are doing it again, to PROTECT us. We are also PROTECTING and GUARDING the hearts of the 'younger & older men' that we come in contact with. They need the words to that old Sunday School song... "Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." to play in their minds too, and if we dress inappropriately or immodestly, then we are seen as a hindrance to their walk. NOT ALL GUYS ARE JERKS or ARE OUT TO GET SEX... but we shouldn't give them a chance to even think about it by what we are wearing...
I know that as a youth, when we went to a BIG convention in Texas, at CFNI, for YFN... we had talks with our youth pastor and his wife, and we had to do the "Praise the Lord" and raise our hands/arms, and if anything else went up with them and showed off 'more than necessary', then it was inappropriate to wear. We also had to stand straight, with our arms to the side, and our shorts, dresses, skirts could not be shorter than where our finger tips ended... (I guess it was the middle finger, seeing as it is the longest.) That was a rule on the campus of CFNI... which I believe is a good rule... I use the same rules for the 'girls' in my care. When my husband was a Youth Pastor (and I was a Youth Leader), we used these 2 for a basis for 'clothing' rules. At youth camp now, we like to share these with the girls, as they want to dress 'cute' but when they start worshipping God, and things hang out, or fly up, or are too revealing, then the guys minds start wandering away from the things of God, to the things of 'this world'... and they no longer can focus on God. We as women of God, do not want to be a hindrance in the way of the 'men of God' getting closer to Him, and the desires of His heart.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 NIV
These verses in 1 Corinthians show us the reason for modesty... it is to bring glory to God. Everything that we do or say should bring glory to God. If we are dressing 'cute' and 'revealing' to bring attention to ourselves, then God is not getting glory, we are! We are CALLED to not cause anyone to stumble... ANYONE! We do not seek our own good, but the good of many that they might be saved. As much as it might be a way to bring more 'unbelievers' into the fold, sexy dress, talk and actions are not the way to BRING THE FATHER GLORY!
We all know that this all doesn't happen at once... it is a SLOW FADE (as the song by Casting Crowns says). There is one line in there that always hits me hard... "Oh be careful little feet where you go, well its the little feet behind you, that are sure to follow..." There are ALWAYS eyes watching you... and our thoughts and choices are easily followed by those around us. As a teacher, and a 'mentor/big sister' to many young girls, I want my feet to always go to Jesus... so the girls that follow, will always find their way to Him! All glory to the Father!
Here's the YOUTUBE version of the song SLOW FADE by Casting Crowns...
To go with today's verse, "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." This is an exciting verse where our 'virtuous woman' is being like JESUS. She is following the example set before her, and living it out in her own life, so that others around her may follow her example. She isn't extending her hands to get noticed, or to receive human praise. She is modestly and humbly setting her own priorities and tasks aside to love on another, who is 'poor... and needy'. Here in Canada, you look around, and sometimes see the 'poor' and 'needy' lying on park benches, standing at street corners with signs, and sometimes we get frustrated about helping them. We usually think they are going to use the money for drugs or something else, if we are wanting to share money with them. If we give money to them, will they actually be 'thankful' and respond accordingly, or will they just move on to the next 'sucker' to get more money... It's always a tough spot. A small prayer will help you discern where people's motives lie. Jesus didn't worry about that, he even went against rules of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, and helped, healed, touched, listened to the poor and the needy. How many of these 'needy' people just need a HUG?? Sometimes I think that... who cares how smelly or dirty they are? If they were our own children or family we would still hug them... we are to show we are followers of Christ by our LOVE. Is it LOVE to walk on by the 'lame' man lying on the side of the road with a sign??? Is it LOVE to pass by on the other side of the road? Is it LOVE to just turn away from a co-worker who's husband has lost their job? What was JESUS' example???
Some people from the 80's/90's will remember WWJD bracelets... they are still out there today, yet not as 'powerful', as the world, and we as Christians have even made those to be silly, and have no point. WWJD stands for WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? This is a statement that IS STILL VERY POWERFUL today... especially in the eyes of children. They respect JESUS, they believe in JESUS without many questions! When they do something wrong, it is good to say, "hmm... what do you think Jesus would say about that?" or something like "Would Jesus hit his friends and laugh?" We need to honestly step back and think what Jesus would do, and then try to follow His example to the best of our ability. He was a human... you cannot say, 'but He's God'.... He made Himself a human form, so that He could endure ALL (and more) that we endure as humans. He however was filled with the Holy Spirit, and was in deep intimate communion with His Father. We need to follow THAT example FIRST AND FOREMOST if we want to get anywhere...
Our 'virtuous woman' was said to have eager hands, and strong arms (in previous verses)... she has strength to perform her tasks, and to help out her family. However, this verse also gives the woman a 'gentleness' to her. Although her arms are strong, and her hands are eager & busy... she has the TIME and the GENTLE TOUCH to allow herself to help those who are around her, in her circle of influence (or around her community & world). WOW! What an eye-opener!! I know I personally LOVE hugs... and I think I would give a hug to almost anyone (if they needed one)... I give HUGS all day long... I get paid to give out & receive HUGS! What a blessing!! Unfortunately, a HUG today is not really acceptable as it was back in Jesus' time (or even in our parents era)... today school teachers can get charged, fired (and never again be teachers) for a simple HUG. Thankfully, we don't have that problem in daycare, and the children in our care are receiving the affection and love that they desire. Unfortunately for these same children, when they move up to 'BIG SCHOOL', and get hurt, or are sad, or just want a hug because they miss Mommy and Daddy, they WILL NOT be able to receive these 'needed' HUGS. This makes me sad... because I know that some of these children (like me) have a love language of "PHYSICAL TOUCH". (Click here to read more about the FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman) So I know that my arms are soft & gentle for hugs... because I love giving them as much as I do receiving them, because usually when you give, you automatically receive!!
Going back to the 'poor' and 'needy', most people think 'third-world' when you say this... and I can officially say now that I have been across the ocean into Kigali, Rwanda, Africa! It was only 2 weeks, but it was certainly a life-changing 2 weeks... there are so many needy people there, and just to see their faces light up at the sight of a 'muzungu' (white person) is humbling... they have such a simple 'joy'... sometimes you can't tell by the perma-frown on their faces. Their simple lives and simple way of living, is amazing when looked at from the eyes of a 'middle class Canadian white woman'... To touch the lives of those people and their children, was beyond a blessing to me. You just NEED to stretch out your arms, and extend your hands to them... you just WANT to do it too! A 'little' taste of living like JESUS...
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING... anonymously if you can... and reach out to those 'poor' and 'needy'...
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