On The Heavenly Highway To Purity
I read this verse, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10. And then I thought most of us more resemble a pearl; which starts it’s existence as a grain of sand that has gotten inside an oyster and irritated it’s lining causing it to coat that grain with layer upon layer of pearl-essence to create a rare stone of great beauty and much monetary value.
We, too, have caused many people to be irritated. But in other ways we are more like an onion and God is constantly peeling away our many smelly layers of sin and impurities. And so I came up with an acronym for us who are traveling this road toward purity. We are P.E.A.R.L.s: Pure and Exciting, but Always Real Ladies. And as such we are traveling the Heavenly Highway to Purity in Jesus. As P.E.A.R.L.s we need to act very differently than women of the world do. We are to follow the examples of Biblical Womanhood as follows:
MODESTY: As P.E.A.R.L.s we need to be modest in our language and actions, but most importantly in the way that we dress. The reasons for this are very clear and spelled out for us in God’s word. I Timothy 2:9-10 says: “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array; But (which becometh women professing Godliness) with good works.”
God wasn’t telling ladies not to dress nicely. No this command is more pointed; He is telling Godly ladies not to dress provocatively. Not to wear their skirts and slacks so tight or short as to leave little or nothing to a man’s imagination. Not to wear our blouses so low as to expose our cleavage for them to drool over. And this with very good reason; it is because when we dress as women of the world dress we are inviting men, and more importantly our Christian brothers to participate in the sin of adultery with their eyes. But more than that, our invitation to men into this sin makes us a participant with them in their sin. We can see this participation in Matthew 5:27-28: “Ye have heard it said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery WITH HER already in his heart.” These are strong words, but very true.
As Godly ladies we are to treat every and most especially our Christian brothers, as though they are some other woman’s husband – for they really are. And so we behave in public and in private as though we are standing in the very presence of God – for so we are. Thus we are modest in dress, word and deed.
ATTITUDE: As P.E.A.R.L.s we must exude a Godly air of confidence. This confidence must pour forth from every inch of your being and must be highlighted in godly purity and holiness. As the Bible says; But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV. This attitude isn’t one of smugness or of a ‘holier than thou-ness’ of feeling better than others. No we are to exude an air of His holiness, As if He was and is the very air that we breathe the very life source of our being. Our attitude is that we are servants … servants of God and of each other. Following the very example of Jesus:
‘He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded . . . So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ John 13: 4, 5, 12-17 KJV.
So as P.E.A.R.L.s we are to be modest [in word, deed and apparel], confident, holy, servants of the living God, Jesus. We are to be His examples in this world all of our days, ministering to the needs of those in our families, church bodies and communities in the various jobs and duties He has placed us in. God has placed a calling on each one of us; He has given us each a job to do within the body of Christ. This job may be in the church as teachers, youth ministers, etc or in our communities as civic leaders, teachers, typists, medical positions or whatever field you are currently working. Every job – every position – is a ministry to Jesus; a calling to His service and you, and as P.E.A.R.L.s, should be His willing and obedient servant wherever He has called you to be. Not every missionary is called to a foreign field, in fact most of us are called minister for Jesus right in the cities and towns where we live and work every day. Just like the old saying, ‘grow where you are planted!’ This is exactly what Jesus has called us as P.E.A.R.L.s to do; line upon line, precept upon precept; as is stated in Isaiah 28:13
Let’s grow together in Jesus in our journey of Chosen Singleness!
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