Amazing must-read article!
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/weblogs/mohler/?adate=02/24/2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Submissiveness
Definitely a "“vice" in the eyes of many people!
We know from the Bible that "“submission"” is not automatically a bad thing. Submissiveness--—or having an attitude of submission--would have to be a good thing too! Oooooohhhhh! This concept is so hard for some people to accept! But who ever said submission is easy?
Submissiveness can be either good or bad, a virtue or a vice. As a virtue it means things like:
Submission to God
Deference, courtesy, respect for other people, and an open heart toward them (Rom. 12:10; Eph 5:21)
Humility, and a willingness to admit error and to learn (1 Peter 5:5; Pro. 9:8,9).
A willingness to do things another person's way or to yield.
Respect for and appropriate submission to persons who have authority over you or preference before you in any way--—parents (Ex. 20:2), elders (Lev. 19:32, 1 Peter 5:5), church leaders (Heb. 13:17), government (Rom 13:1,7; 1 Peter 2:13,14), your own husband (Col. 3:18), employers (Col. 3:22).
An attitude of asking, requesting, and suggesting, rather than ordering, demanding, and informing. It is particularly important to do this toward people we a subject to, but it is an important courtesy toward anyone, even people who are subject to us.
Submissiveness as a vice means things like:
Such excessive deference that it becomes annoying to other people.
Humility and meekness to the point of being annoying, or to the point that you can't even graciously accept complements or gifts, or to the point that you deny the truth (by declaring that you really are not so talented, etc.).
Submissiveness to the point that it becomes permissiveness, allowing people to do things either around you or to you that they should not do. Allowing people to persuade you to do something you should not do.
Allowing another person (or a group of people, or an organization, etc.) officially or unnoficially to take over your mind.
Being so submissive (or submissive in the wrong setting) that you fail to have and maintain appropriate boundaries.
Failure to have opinions (beliefs, values, etc.) or to ever express them.
Failure to stick up for your rights (or someone else's) when you should
Obeying men rather than God. Submitting to any human being more than you submit to God.
Obeying or following the lead of someone other than whom is in authority over you, i.e. children giving into peer pressure rather than obeying your parents, wives submitting to the will of friends rather than to the will of her husband, etc.
Being a pushover (like Aaron Ex. 32:1-2).
Monday, July 10, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Beauty Prescription #2: A noble character
It shows--—and it is rather becoming.
Love, compassion . . . purity, the peace of God are visible in our eyes.
Our thoughts, and our character, are reflected by our faces.
It affects the way we walk, the way we talk, the things we do. It affects the way we dress, the way we take care of ourselves.
And how much better it looks than greedy eyes, a contempuous look, smirks and constant frowns, careless and vulgar speech, immodest attire, habits and manners that prove that darkness and selfishness and filth are all we have ever known.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Virtues in action: Dressing
Modesty--—for obvious reasons!
Purity--Pure hearts, pure minds, pure motives, pure religion and undefiled (wording courtesy of James 1:27), will all affect the way we dress and will aid us in dressing in ways God can approve. They will also tend to "“purify"” the way we dress and make it more genuinely beautiful. Purity will root out gaudiness, excessive ornamentation, extravaganceance, and all ridiculouslous attire worn in the name of fashion. It will make our clothing comfortable and practical.
Orderliness--—our closets and other storage facilities should be well-organized so we can find what we need when we need it. Our bedrooms and bathrooms should be orderly to, because getting dressed or getting ready to go somewhere is always easier when you don't lose stuff among the piles of dirty clothes on the floor, trip over things and stub your toes, or have to move armfuls of stuff off the bathroom vanity top so you can set down your curling iron, etc. When we are orderly, we can not only keep our space neat and our stuff organized, but we can organize our time and tasks. Both of these are important in getting dressed and ready quickly (and with matching shoes!), as well as in taking the time to care for our clothing properly.
Neatness--it helps the same way orderliness does, but more importantly, our appearance should be neat. I'm at a loss as to how to describe the unkempt appearance I am imagining, so you will just have to use your own imagination!
Confidence--—so we look like we meant to wear what we are wearing instead of looking like we opened our closets and these clothes attacked us and held us hostage, and we would really rather not be wearing them. Sometimes I feel like I look like my clothes have taken me hostage!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Really?
| Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful |
 You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog. Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights. A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time. You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is! |
Hahahaha! A ton of brain power! How do I access it???!!!
I have been told it is insightful (or something like that) but I'm not so sure about confident!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Virtues in action
Dishwashing and all that goes with it
Efficiency—I am such an innefficient dish washer and kitchen cleaner! It probably takes me twice as long as it needs to because I keep jumping around putting food away then cleaning out the sink, then loading the dishwasher, then drying dishes, then starting dishwater, then loading the dishwasher, then washing dishes, then putting food away, then drying dishes. Sigh. I think I learned this from living in a very cramped kitchen in which I HAD to go from job to job just to get it done—sort of a put-food-away-so-I-can-clean-out-the-sink-so-I-can-wash-some-dishes-so-
I'll-have-room-to-put-the-rest-of-the-food-away-so-I-can-wipe-off-the-counter
-so-I'll-have-a-place-to-put-dry-dishes-so-I-can-clean-out-the-dishdrainer-so
-I-can-wash-the-rest-of-the-dishes thing. We have a spacious kitchen now so it's time to adopt new practices!
Cleanliness—obviously! We don't want dishes with spots of food left on them. Or gunk around the sink faucet. Or crumbs of the countertop. So we need habits of cleanliness!
Carefulness—so we make sure everything is clean, everything gets done, nothing gets broken, and we don't make a swimming pool on the kitchen floor.
Thoroughness—every dish, every crumb, every drop of water around the sink. No stopping short!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
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