Proverbs 31:13 "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands."
Do you ever just want to run around the house with no clothes on when you're the only one home? Sounds freeing right? Would you ever decide to stand in the kitchen and cook without clothes on? I know I wouldn't! Why? I'd be afraid of what I might catch on fire! LOL. We wear clothes for protection of our bodies, for modesty, for many different reasons!
The first outfits were made by God to protect and cover Adam and Eve after the fall of man. Genesis 3:11 "And he said, "who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? Genesis 3:21-22 "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil...."
Before the fall of man, we had no knowledge of Good and Evil. Unfortunately, today we are all BORN naked with a sinful nature. I never taught my 4 year old to lie, or to steal toys from her sisters, or to be disrespectful to her Mom & Dad; she did these things naturally! But I do have to teach her that they are wrong, that she should share, not to lie, and not tell Mommy & Daddy NO! I call this "clothing their hearts."
There are so many meanings for the word "Naked;" I wanted to share a few of my favorite (***):
1. Without clothing or covering
2. Bare or stripped
3. without protection***
4. defenseless, unprotected, exposed***
When Adam and Eve realized they were naked in the garden of Eden, they hid from God, their best and only friend, their Father, the only person who could have helped them in the situation. They felt the shame of the sin that they committed. Then, (does this sound familiar) God asked them, "WHY did you disobey me when I told you NOT to do this? Because you disobeyed you will have to be punished." And then God forgave them and made garments for them to cover their nakedness.
That reminds me so much of when I discipline my children; my first question is WHY did you do this?! Then I always go on to the discipline, and punishment; afterward we hug and kiss, and then they are corrected, or I guess you can say that I clothe their hearts from sin by correcting the problem and telling them how this can be avoided next time.
When we clothe our children and husbands' hearts, we cover up their nakedness, and protect their hearts from sin, shame, and destruction. So many times it's the small things that leave our children/husbands' hearts exposed. Things like: what we watch, what we listen to, what we say around them.
When my husband and I were dating in the VERY beginning, years ago, I remember one time being in a Blockbuster looking for a movie to rent. Along comes another girl. Her belly was hanging out, short shorts, low cut top, you get the picture. I watched him fix his eyes on her and watch her walk across the room. Now to be fair, I even watched her because, really, you couldn't not stare at her with what she was wearing! But, him watching her, if we were married at the time, could have opened up a WHOLE load of problems for our marriage.
On television now days, anything goes- even on the "family" programs! It's important as the wife, the heart of the family, and the one who "clothes" the hearts of your family, to set standards for these type of things. For our family, I have to say my husband was actually the one who set the standards in this area. Once we were married he has always been VERY respectful of me and what he watches. He always makes sure to check and see what something is rated, and rarely ever watches something rated R. If something pops up unexpectedly, he will turn his head or fast forward it; in several cases, he has just turned it off the show completely. I've never had to ask him once to do this; he just does because he knows how important it is to me that he be shame free, and protected from the bigger things that the little things can lead to.
As the wife, we might not be able to control everything our husbands want to watch. However, we can control what we watch. I don't know how many times in the past I've watched some shows like Grey's or Desperate Housewives and they always start out clean and then you get hooked. Then they throw in some homosexuality, premarital sex, you name it- and because you're hooked already it's hard to turn it off! My husband will sit and watch them with me at times and up pops a half naked woman! By limiting what we watch as the wife, even if our husbands decides to watch things on their own that we don't agree with, it will still clothe and protect their hearts. Then you can walk away knowing you've made the right choice for your family. My husband has said before "if it's not good enough for our kids to watch it, then why would it be good enough for us to watch?"
It is the same with our children, how many times have we turned on a cartoon and just sat them in front of it without REALLY knowing what they are watching?! I did this when my 4 year old was younger. I wasn't familiar with all the new cartoons when I first became a mom, and assumed they were all okay for her. So, I'd turn on NICK, sit her in front of Spongebob or whatever was on, and go clean my house! Until one day, I sat with her, and actually watched it! It was a funny cartoon, but Spongebob was lying and cheating!! If he were real, he would not exactly be someone I would want my children to learn character traits from!
Ephesians 4:27 "And do not give the devil a foothold." If you were walking across the room and someone grabbed you by the foot, you wouldn't just lose your balance, your entire body would fall crashing to the ground! From that small hold that someone could get on your foot, it could effect your entire body! From that one naked woman, or small temptation your husband watches on a show you turn on, it could effect your entire marriage. From that one lie that your child sees on a cartoon and thinks is funny, it could effect them the rest of their lives!
Our challenge this week is to observe your family. Take a closer look at what you are bringing into your home: games, movies, music, gossip, anger, even people etc. Figure out how you can clothe your family's hearts, or protect their hearts, from these things. If you've never paid attention to what your kids are watching during the day, sit with them one day this week, all day, and find out! What in your life can you protect your family from that could be destructive to their hearts? You will be amazed at the impact these things have on your family.
Just this week, I decided to really crack down on what my kids were watching. I have felt recently we've been a little less strict on the cartoons, and I've been having the worst few weeks behavior-wise with them. So, this week they have gotten MAYBE 1 hour of TV and it has been a Veggie Tale, a Bible DVD, or something about God. Already, in these few short days, it has made a HUGE difference in their character!
I'm praying for wisdom for you all this week; I know it can be hard to give up things that you've done/watched/listened to for so long, but it will be totally worth it in the end! Love you all!
Make sure to head over to the discussion tab on the facebook page and let us know what you've observed about your family this week!
Please continue to help us grow this ministry! For the month of July if you place a link to the The Modern Proverbs 31 Wife on your facebook page you will receive three entries into our end of the month drawing to receive the book "CAPTIVATING" by Stasi & John Eldredge! You never know whose marriage you will save just by posting a link!
God Bless!
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