Devotional For Women

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.

1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT

Tiny tops. Short skirts. Low-cut necklines. No, I'm not describing what you can find in the sleazy part of town; look in any junior high classroom. In fact, look almost anywhere these days and that's the type of clothing you will find. Everywhere you turn, there is underwear and skin showing--and not enough covered. We find the burqas worn by Middle Eastern women inconceivable, but are our wardrobe alternatives all that acceptable? Women, what have we done to ourselves? Do we find our worth in our visual sex appeal? The world tells us that we should be able to do whatever we want with our bodies. If you've got, flaunt it. We can use it to control and manipulate men: know their weakness, and taunt them. What is Christlike about that? How does our wardrobe declare who owns us? You see, our bodies aren't our own--they are from God and are for him. We shouldn't be flaunting it but respecting it. We shouldn't be taunting men but helping them. The problem isn't thinking about our body as a temple; it's that we forget whose temple it is. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit. We should be focusing on how our body furthers God’s kingdom, rather than our popularity. I try to dress respectfully, but there are tops that my brother has had to tell me are too low or revealing--as a woman, I am often blind to the extent of it. Take a close look at your wardrobe. Don't be afraid to ask a male family member of yours what they think about your clothing. And when you are tempted to think otherwise, remember that your worth comes from God and not your outwardly appearance. After all, our looks will change, but God never will.