Woman of Modesty

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

1 Timothy 2:9
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;”

In part 1, I touched on modest apparel and shamefacedness. This article I am going more into sobriety.

Sobriety means to have a clear mind. She keeps her mind in the word of God and the things above. Our minds not being altered by alcohol, worldly media , worldly entertainment, gossip; he said she said, drama and not our own thoughts.

And, with women this is especially difficult being the more “emotional” of creation. Our feelings can interfere with our thoughts and if not submitted to the mind of the obedience of Christ we can find ourselves being easily persuaded, making bad choices, being too gullible and even too kind when we need to be more strict in areas.

An example of too kind: not wanting to discipline our children, we don’t want to hurt their feelings, but by not holding them accountable for their behavior or actions, we in turn hurt them even more. This is one of the reasons why a husband is the head of household, to enforce such strictness.

An example of too gullible: drama, movies, things of not truth, setting unrealistic expectations, negative ideas and thoughts to falsely accuse our own husbands. How to tell if your man is cheating and meditating on entertainment of others cheating sets a mind searching until it believes a lie spoken into a woman’s ear, meditated on and straight to her heart. It may appear he is or he even has before and has been forgiven and repented, maybe even a past experience he wasnt even involved in, but he isn’t cheating and here before you is handed the cup of doubt to drink the lies of Satan to drunkenness. Emotions run rampid, you don’t even know what you’re doing now like a drunk, staggering and speaking filthiness. The dark side.

Yet, on the light side, a woman’s emotions of her soft heart and sober mind submitted to God’s Holy righteousness can be reminders and influence others to be merciful and forgiving, more apt and able to forgive 70 x’s 7. It is all weighed in a balance and must always be considered and prayed about in child raising and other areas where upholding discipline and handing out grace collide. The Holy Ghost will lead us but we must submit our mind to him.

1 Peter 5 which I am sharing here speaks of our minds and how we are to keep clear minds and why. Later, read Proverbs 31 and line up what God says a virtuous woman does, I will insert a few brackets. The two chapters go hand and hand. I pray this reveals a depth of understanding and the importance of a woman, her purpose and role.

1 Peter 5

5 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: (teaches younger women)

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (she prepares meat, meat is to do the will of God) (sobriety in the mind of Christ)

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (she sews, makes clothing for her family and sells fine linen to the merchants, what’s more finer than humility? And she sows, she plants a vineyard, she sows seeds of kindness, truth and love, multiplying good fruit)

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (she submits to her husband)

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (she is a mighty prayer warrior her lamp doesn’t go out at night, night is darkness and you find her loins strengthened kneeling in prayer, arms lifted in praises to God speaking life over her family)

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.