The Death of Pretty

I've been noticing the lack of "pretty" girls when I'm out and about. Women in this day and age look so harsh.  Many moms are trying to dress like their teenage daughters and the teenage daughters are trying to dress like film stars and rock stars.  I recently read this article by Pat Archbold and was struck by the reality of it.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-death-of-pretty

The point of this article is the exact discussion The Farmer and I have had on several occasions.  As the mother of 3 daughters, this is an issue near and dear to me.  How can we raise our daughters to be pretty maidens of virtue versus hot commodities?  And how can we teach our son the value of pretty versus hot?

In the NLT Bible, 1 Timothy 2:9 states "And I want women to be modest in their appearance.  They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes."

Proverbs 5:3-4 warns of the immoral woman, "For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.  But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword."   In the NIV translation, Proverbs 7:10 paints another picture of the adulteress.  "Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent."

God calls for women to be modest and not to defile ourselves by dressing like prostitutes.  His message is loud and clear.  The challenge is remaining steadfast in the Lord regardless of the level our society has stooped to.  Every where I look, I feel surrounded by this notion of "hot".  Unfortunately, even at church.  The pressures of this life are constantly there through shows and commercials on TV, songs on the radio, movies at the theater, and various visuals on the internet.  But as Christians, we need to be stronger.  We need to rise above and set a new bar, a new standard for our young people to follow.  I pray that I can be a good role model for our girls and that their love for God will remain true.  And, kudos to Pat Archbold for starting the conversation...