Modesty: Part II

I Timothy 2:9-10

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

This Bible verse isn't saying that we shouldn't braid our hair or wear nice clothing. It's really saying that we should not think that they are more important than whether or not we are acting pure and godly. The world greatly emphasizes how we look--whether or not we have the newest styles, 'cool' hairdo's, or latest earrings. And some of the fashions of the world today are definitely not what a pure maiden who trusts in the Lord would wear.

Imagine if Prince Charming showed up looking for his beautiful, pure princess, and what he found instead was a rude girl, dressed in clingy, immodest attire with a horrendous attitude. He wouldn't be attracted, no, he'd be wondering what in the world happened to his princess?

Thinking in allegorical terms has always helped me to see how awful being impure is. So in this instance, think of purity as a jewel. Here is a story about this:

Once upon a time, there was a great king, the ruler of a mighty kingdom. He had two beautiful daughters who he loved very much. He had given both of them a gift at their birth, a sparkling, flawless, purity jewel to keep. They were meant for the princesses to give them to their husbands on their wedding day.

The girls grew into fine young ladies, until one day the eldest grew impatient with waiting for her prince to come to her. So one night, she snuck out of the castle and off into the kingdom. When she returned, several months later, her purity jewel had changed. Instead of being the sparkling, flawless thing it had once been, it was dull and chipped. Although, luckily for the eldest princess, her prince did come along and marry her, her jewel would never be as precious as it had once been.

The younger princess, seeing what had happened to her sister, stayed in the castle, patiently waiting for her prince and knowing that her father knew best what to do--wait.

Her patience was rewarded when her prince came to the castle, attracted by her flawless purity jewel. They married soon afterward, and unlike her sister, the youngest princess could give her husband a pure jewel.

So, the moral of the story is: keep your jewel a pure gift to give to your husband.

In Christ,

Princess Izori