Example

Example

A woman who is beautiful but lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

Proverbs 11:22

Whether you prefer pants to skirts and whether you’re in your twenties or your forties, you’ll probably agree that advertising for women’s clothing sometimes exceeds appropriate limits. “How much power does advertising wield with respect to shaping the culture? Jan Kurtz, Curator of American Advertising Museum in Portland, Oregon reports, ‘Advertising is a very conscious attempt to depict a fantasy lifestyle, so it exacerbates the cultural trends.’ ”^a

How much power does advertising wield? A lot. How much power does God’s Word wield? A lot more. Advertising aims to change the outside of us (buying, eating, dressing, exercising), while the Word of God aims to change the inside of us (thinking—attitudes that produce behavior). God’s Word teaches discretion and modesty, in contrast to much of the advertising we see today.

Discretion and modesty are big words that set big examples. Discretion includes being able to make responsible decisions, including practicing self-restraint in speech and behavior. A woman who exercises discretion looks honestly at the circumstances and sees the potential consequences of her words and actions. And modesty? Although advertisers may not always choose modesty, Christian women must (see 1 Timothy 2:9). Modesty includes not attempting to call attention to ourselves and exercising caution in speech, dress, and behavior.

Where will we get our example of a proper feminine life—from advertising or from God’s Word? Our choice determines the kind of example we will be to our children.

Father,

Thank you for instructive words in the Bible about discretion and modesty. May we choose to exercise them in our lives so we will be good examples to our daughters and sons. Amen.