Of all the directives we've seen in Titus 2, I think "be pure" goes the most in the face of today's American culture. If you keep up with friends from your past on Facebook, you've undoubtedly seen pictures they've posted that made you embarassed for them. You can't go anywhere (sometimes church included) without seeing an outfit that is just a little too revealing (or a lot revealing). We are bombarded day in and day out with images and sound bites that get in our heads and can mess with our thoughts.
The pursuit of being pure is a really tough one for me. I feel so often like I fall so short of the mark. I'm drawn to watch shows on TV that I know aren't pure. I'm drawn to listen to songs on the radio that I know aren't pure. I'm drawn to scan the covers of magazines and tabloids in the grocery checkout that I know aren't pure. I start to get comfortable with myself and the choices I make. I start to justify my choices. I sometimes pretend like I'm the kind of person who doesn't watch those shows or listen to those songs. But inside, I know that there are choices I make that do not lead me to the purity God desires in me.
Have you ever met someone that sort of awes you with the sweet, gentle spirit they have? When you encounter purity, you know it. And I have encountered this purity in women of varying ages and seasons in life. Everytime I meet someone like that, it makes me realize just how beautiful it is to be pure. And it makes me think of how pleasing it is to God to offer ourselves to Him as a humble person who desires His love and forgiveness to make us pure.
2 comments:
I know an older lady like this. She is very gentle and quiet in spirit...very "pure." It isn't because she has never had any bad experiences. She has dealt with some really tough things in her life. It is that she has relied on God through those experiences and allowed Him to mold her reactions! I try and spend as much time with her as possible :)
A couple of women came to my mind when I read this post...it IS so TRUE that seeing this in action is SO ATTRACTIVE. It is beautiful in every sense of the word...there is something about these woman that spur me on!
The subject of being pure in the way that we dress, has been a growing topic of conversation, now that I have two younger boys. The way that MAMA dresses (even in the privacy of our own home), is so important! I want my boys to see modesty first-hand and shield their little minds from as much temptation as we possibly can! Not just because we want to, but because it is our responsibility.
Thanks for the post, Leah!
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