NOTHING MATTERS MORE to Sheila than catching Jerry’s eye…

She spends hours before her mirror designing the perfect outfit. One that is skimpier than she wears to worship, but designed to show what she has. Sheila feels awkward, dressed as she is, but she remembers her priorities and pushes her hesitancy out the window. The plunging neckline and short skirts will attract Jerry’s attentions, she is certain. As she walks down the street to the gym, where Jerry awaits, boys notice Sheila and whistle at her. She yells at them and calls them pigs. She instead turns her mind back to luring Jerry into her web. The irony escapes her.

Women need to avoid the trap that Satan lays for them. The world tells them that allure transcends character and propriety. Satan says that sexy matters more than substance and the flashy walk trumps faith. Standing against this tide may find you alone and useless, they say.

Women walk a fine and lonely line in this world. Yet, Christ walks with them all the way, as do her sisters in Christ (Hebrews 13:5; Ephesians 2:19). Women of God must possess the courage and vigor of the champions of faith. They must cling to one another for strength. They must also possess wisdom and clarity. Situational ethics must not enter their minds. Realism must be their lens and righteousness, their landscape.

Situational modesty says that a woman can dictate the situation and control the eyes and minds of the male population./1 When she is on the prowl, only the person she wishes to snare can see her as sexy. All other eyes must close. It says that she can wear barely any clothes when she goes to McDonalds on a late night run and since she has no intent to be sexy, no man should see her in that way. Her body can be uncovered at a beach, but since she is only there to swim, all men must ignore her, except for the handsome guys who are available.

Men must realize her intentions and see her as she desires, just because she says so. A man goes to a bank, withdraws $50,000 and goes to fast food restaurant. He goes to the table in the middle of the crowded room, loudly pours the money out on the table and counts it. However, no one else may lust after that money, because it isn’t theirs.

Hannah Colley has written about this mindset. She discusses how men do not see the issue of situation modesty as women do. All they see is the woman and her visual impact. Hormones do not care.

Hannah writes:
“To us, as women, there may be an enormous difference between exposing lots of skin at a public beach and exposing it at a church event. But try asking a guy this question: “Is the physical or psychological response different, say at a ball game or at the beach than in Sunday school?” They might laugh at you. For guys, attraction to the female body is a physical response; something God gave them to increase the pleasure of a marital relationship. To them, your location or circumstance has little to do with it. They don’t have a switch they can flip whenever they’re going to the beach or to a ball game where cheerleaders are present.” /2
Situational modesty is as silly and deceptive as situational ethics./3 God watches all the time and our Christian walk never takes a day off (Psalm 139:7-12; Ephesians 4:1). Since truth never changes, modesty does not, either, Satan is always at work and men are always watching and their souls matter, too.

Richard Mansel
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1/ http://tinyurl.com/2ubc7so
2/ http://cindycolley.blogspot.com/
3/ http://tinyurl.com/25m4mp4
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10