Singleness, Meekness, & Modesty

Just small glimpses of my world. I used to think that women’s ministry was too narrow for me – I didn’t want to major in that in seminary. But, I am learning that women’s ministry – is simply ministering to women – and that is what I’m doing. Here we go – this is all from Saturday-Today.

Saturday: (Location: Chapel Hill, Orange Leaf outside tables). Overhear two young women talking about being single. One of them said I love being single, as long as I have someone to be single with – l love to flirt and its fun to flirt without being attached. Girls – what is the purpose of flirting? Is that the only reason you should be single? Married women – you should flirt with your husband. How is flirting evidence of the gospel in our lives? Do we manipulate flirting to make is permissable? As the two girls left, I was praying for them and my own view of singleness. I love being single. It has allowed to me do ministry beyond anything I could imaging. It has fueled times of deep teaching from the Lord. It has refined me more than I would have expected – and I never expected to be single this long. But – my God is gracious. I am praying. I am obeying. And I know that God is bigger and better.

Sunday: (Location: my office at church). Reading BeAttitudes for Women by Dr. Mrs. Patterson. When I purchased this book many years ago, I was very cynical. I thought how are the beattitudes different for women – it’s the Bible. Come on. But…as I started to read the book yesterday, turned to the Meekness chapter – I was introduced to how wrong I was.
I shared the following with one of the singles’ classes in my church as I was talking to them about serving:
“Rather, it (meekness) commends a spiritual condition of submission to and confidence in God, which then unfolds into a lifestyle marked by patience and gentleness.” (p. 85) I will be reading the rest of the book on vacation this week.

Monday: (Location: Summer Bible Study, teaching high school girls about modesty for the sake of the gospel)
Wow – not a fun topic. This has caused much confusion in ministry in early years for me. But, God has definitely changed my heart with thinking through this in light of the gospel. I will forever be grateful to Veronica Greear who gave me the CD and sermon of CJ Mahaney of Soul of Modesty one morning after church back in 2004. I put it in the cd player as I pulled out of the parking lot. By the time I got to the traffic light, the Spirit had already greatly convicted me of the sin in my own heart. tonight, the main points will be these: 1. The issue of modesty is found in one word: the GOSPEL. 2. 1 Tim 2.9 3. Dressing while considering others better than yourself. 4. Modesty is proper for those who profess Christ. 5. Others should be able to see Jesus by how you dress. 6. “The woman who loves the Savior avoids immodesty because she refuses to distract from or misrepresent the purity of the gospel.

Please pray: 1. For me as God continues to shape and mold me as a woman after his own heart. 2. Those two girls in Chapel Hill. 3. For the high school girls who will hear the Truth about modesty tonight.