Friday, September 14, 2007

A penny for your thoughts...

I have been thinking recently about modesty and femininity.

1) What is the significance of a feminine, modest woman in a world that applauds a woman who can do everything as well as a man and look just like a man?

2) What makes femininity so important?

I have found myself shrinking back in horror from the stereotype of "frumpy" and "old-fashioned." In a world in which we are constantly surrounded by blatant sensuality I find it easy to grow accustomed to the "acceptable" dress of the day and begin to think that some things aren't so bad. Have you ever found yourself thinking "The guys have to deal with stuff that is so much worse, so why should this be a problem?" I shudder to think of how subtle the enemy is and how quickly I am tricked into believing his lie--the lie that it would be more of a "distraction" to look out of place then to wear something that might be borderline. But are we being influenced by the opinions of today in such a way that we are loosing a significant part of what God created us to be as women.

So what does it mean to be feminine and modest? Is it just the way we dress and carry ourselves, or is it a heart attitude that is manifested through our outward appearance and mannerisms? Is a girl who radiates femininity really more attractive than a girl who is determined to do everything just as well as the boys? I don't think that girls and guys can't enjoy many of the same activities. I enjoy catching a football and learning to shoot a gun with my brothers. But what has happened to the grace and beauty of being a woman?

What does femininity mean to you and how can we regain this "old-fashioned" quality? I would love to hear your thoughts!

3 comments:

Kaity Gellos said...

I have found that men who are trying to do right are attracted to a lady who is dressed sweetly and femininely; and that a SMILE can make even the plainest of ladies look appealing in a good, pure way. Our men need ladies who are willing to still be feminine in the midst of our day when 'equal rights' are the popular way. This next statement will sound a little strange -- I've thought for a long time now that pink is a 'feminine color' and looks so sweet on a lady. Not to say that we can't wear all colors. I love a long, ruffled apron for work in the kitchen (haven't found my 'perfect' apron yet though). :-)
Our posture, our smile, our dress, even the way we wear jewelry or make-up should be feminine and not hard-edged. I think men are inspired to care for, protect, and feel the need to be manly, around feminine ladies. Our speech should be graceful as well. We don't have to give our opinion to men on every subject. When the Bible gave instruction to the older women, it was for them to teach the younger WOMEN and not to be telling men what to do. We are living in an upside down society, where women want to be just like the men, and men are getting more feminine. Maybe a feminine lady would bring out the masculine qualities in the men.
I thought your questions and your post were good. We need to consider how we should be acting -- it is so easy to be influenced by whatever is popular. It becomes easy to let 'little things' go and then as we take downward steps, we end up in a bad way and don't even realize how much we've changed. We should always be trading up, instead of trading down. God made male and female so distinctly different. My husband says that you should be able to tell from a distance if a person is a male or female -- i.e. manner of walk, clothing, etc.
Femininity IS important. Modesty is even more important. Both are needed in ladies today.
Thank you for your post. I just read it for the first time this evening. Elaine McDonnell

Kaity Gellos said...

I had to post with Kaitlyn's account as I do not have a g-mail account, so it looks like her post but it was written by me.
Thanks, Elaine McD.

Bethany said...

Thank you Mrs. McDonnell. That was very encouraging!