Category Archives: Modesty

Bible, Blessing, Goodness, Humility, Modesty, Scripture

HOUSES

AMOS 3:15

“‘I will also strike the winter house together with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,’ declares the LORD.”

I have several friends who have more than one house. They have their main home where they live the majority of the time. Then they have their mountain home or their beach home. Some may even have both. They have been prosperous enough to afford them. I am happy for them and have been the beneficiary of these in the past.

Amos, however, is prophesying against those in Israel who flaunted their prosperity by having their winter and summer homes. Some even had them paneled with ivory. They wanted everyone to know how wealthy they were. God said this was all going away.

APPLICATION

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having more than one home if you can afford it. Like I said earlier, I know several of my friends who do. Most of them willingly share those homes with others when they are not using them. They share their blessings with others.

But when we became puffed up and haughty about our stuff, that’s dangerous. God is not pleased with such arrogance. He may just allow a little humbling in our lives when we do that. If the Lord has blessed you, why don’t you bless someone else this Christmas season.

My family has never been wealthy. We haven’t been poor either. God has always provided. During this Christmas season, I am especially humbled at what the Lord has given me. Having just returned from Kenya, I have seen poverty and need. I am just so thankful for a God who provides for us in our times of need and allows us to bless others.

Thank You Lord for blessing me in ways I do not deserve. I pray You will show me how I can bless others.

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Advice, Child Rearing, Christ's Return, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Mentoring, Modeling, Modesty, Obedience, Parenting

NOT ON TARGET

1 TIMOTHY 6:21 

which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. 

I have a crossbow which I use to hunt. I use it to hunt white-tail deer, turkey and even geese. There’s just something about using archery rather than a gun that seems more…well…natural. Don’t get me wrong, I still use a gun during gun season, but I like the challenge of the crossbow also. 

But you know what I have to do each year? I have to practice. I can’t lay my crossbow down and just pick it up the next season to hunt. I have to target shoot to make sure my crossbow is sighted correctly and so I know I can hit what I shoot at. And if you miss the target you are risk of losing that bolt (crossbow arrow).  

APPLICATION 

Buy and inexpensive bow and arrow kit from a toy or sporting store for your children. They will love shooting it. Set up some targets close, to begin with. Then keep moving the target out until they really have trouble hitting it. Then read them this verse. 

What a great way to explain this verse. If you don’t stay close to the Lord and continue to grow your faith, it is so easy to miss the mark, to miss the target. That’s what the phrase “gone astray” actually means. Literally it is “non target.”  Ask your children which they prefer – hitting the target or missing it. The same applies to our faith. 

Are you “on target”? Are you missing the mark? Make sure you stay focused. Make sure you stay sighted in. It takes practice. It takes determination. Will you commit to keeping your eyes on Jesus? If you do you will hit the mark He has set for you. 

O Father, my sights are on You. I want to hit the goal you have set for me. I will give you all the glory.  

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, Fatherhood, Mentoring, Modeling, Modesty, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Purity, Sanctification, Scripture, Witnessing

YOU ARE NOT WEARING THAT

1 TIMOTHY 2:9

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,” 

Modesty seems to be a thing of the past. Have you walked through a mall lately? The things people are wearing and the things the stores are selling can be very, should we say, revealing. I know, I know. Every generation screams this. There was a day when if a woman’s ankle showed below her dress she was horrible.

But modesty isn’t just about what we wear. It’s about so much more. This Greek word for “modesty” is only used right here in this verse. It actually refers to an act that precedes or prevents a shameful act. Hmmm, Paul is trying to encourage the women to do just that. Modesty, in other words, can help prevent wrong things from happening.

APPLICATION

Modesty isn’t just for girls, though. This is appropriate for all of us. We should not only dress modestly, but we should behave that way. We should never present ourselves in such a way that lures others to make bad choices.  As parents, we teach our children modesty to protect them. When they are toddlers, it is cute to see them run around the house naked. Not so much when they are 10 or 12 or 18, right? 

But we teach them also not to draw attention to themselves. Remember, as believers we should always be pointing others to Jesus. When we dress or behave in such a way that all attention is on us, then we have strayed from our mission – to lead others to Him. Modesty helps us achieve our goal.

Maybe you struggle with this issue. Perhaps you like to flirt or show yourself off. Will you examine your heart today and ask the Lord to reveal how you should display modesty? He wants you to never be ashamed. He died so that you would not feel that way ever again. He is the image of modesty. Follow Him.

Let my every action point to You, O Lord. Make me aware of anything that pushes people away from You. 

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