Last summer my friend and I took our children to the beach. The beach was jam packed with people of all shapes, sized, colors and constitutions. I wore what I had, a one-piece bathing suit that was a hand-me-down from four years ago. Four months had passed since I gave birth, so naturally, my body was getting back to its pre-pregnancy state. In short, nothing was as it should be.
I felt uncomfortable, not only because of the high heat and humidity, but also because the bathing suit did not fit properly. As time went on and I surveyed the crowd of women at the beach, my uneasiness subsided and I summoned the courage to take off my outer garments and reveal the "too-stuffed sausage look." Don't laugh, it wasn't cute. I justified my appearance by saying that there were people who looked just as bad and some who looked worse. Although that was true, what did that have to do with me.
Upon my return home, I uploaded my photos to my computer and to my utter shock and dismay, the image that looked back at me was shameful. What was I thinking? I know! In a crowd, it's easy to justify wrong actions because everyone else is doing it. It takes that one bold and courageous person not to conform to evil for everyone else to acknowledge what should be obvious.
Needless to say, that lesson last summer did not cause an immediate change in my choice of attire. I've had to struggle with my old nature and the new creature I want to become. The two are constantly waring against each other. The flesh against the spirit. I see the same struggle going on with other Christians and am less apt to judge now. Now I know that the outward appearance is truly indicative of what is going on in the heart.
This could be a deeper religious discussion about dress, but that has to be something that the Holy Spirit convicts individual hearts about.
"Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
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2 comments:
Leuanna,
Its so true that the principle of modesty/immodesty is a sign of the inner person. The saying might be old, but it still fits perfectly, "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked."
I believe that as the morals of the world and church continue their slide into lawlessness, that some will begin turning back to the old paths, where is the good way, and find themselves deeply involved with Jesus.
Greetings Leuanna! Thank you for sharing this with us. We each stuggle in different areas in our Christian experience, and growing is just part of it. It is easy to be conformed to the world, but how wonderful it is that we have the ultimate example, Jesus Christ to guide us!
Clare...
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