I Support Breast Cancer Awareness.

A few posts ago, I told you about my reading resolution to read the Bible through in 2010 with a group of women. We are 12 days in, and it has been a huge blessing. The women in this group are all seeking to grow in their faith. I have been challenged, encouraged, lifted up, and convicted....and it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet! (If you are a female and reading this, click here to join. There's still time for you to catch up, and you will be so blessed!)

One godly woman and a dear friend of mine raised the question, "I realize in Abraham’s day it was very common for men to have concubines, however, is adultery not adultery? Why do you suppose Genesis makes no mention of Abraham’s relationships with other women, yet David’s adultery is such a big deal? Unless I haven’t gotten that far yet… it seems inconsistent."

An amazing woman of faith answered her: "I haven't researched this, but it won't stop me from giving my opinion. I think Abraham's relationship with Hagar was a pretty big deal. God didn't speak to him for 13 years after Ishmael was born. David also had multiple wives and concubines, but his adultery was a big deal because he took another man's wife as his own. I'm planning to look into this further, but it seems to me that all the problems with multiple wives outlined in the Bible clearly points to the benefits of monogamy! I mean seriously - after reading the account of the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar or Rachel and Leah would you ever want to be part of a family with more than one woman seeking the affection of her husband?"

Ann's wisdom stirred in my heart something I have been praying about posting for the past few days, so I figured it was time to share. In case you are not on Facebook, a few days ago, an inbox chain began where women we supposed to pass along only to other women. In an effort to show their support for breast cancer awareness, the message said to post the color of your bra as your Facebook status.

I know I am labeled as being "ultra conservative," but as I watched these colored Facebook statuses go up from everyone from eighth graders I used to baby-sit to Christian women I respect, I couldn't help but think, "What has happened to our boundaries?"

It seemed a bit off topic for today's Bible reading discussion, but nevertheless, here it goes:

Even if our husbands don't actively engage in relationships with other women, I don't know many women who haven't had to cope with either their husband's past, wandering eyes, or struggles with pornography. While the men may be the ones committing these sins against their wives, I think it's also fair to examine the judgement of the women they are lusting after.

I know I've only been married for a little over 18 months, but I learned within the first week of being married just how visual men are. I mean, I've heard it my entire life, but as soon as I got married, I witnessed it first hand. (Explain to me how my husband can be dead asleep, yet when I walk into the bedroom to retrieve my clothes after getting out of the shower, he's IMMEDIATELY wide awake and ready to go!)

As women, it's not only our job to protect the purity of our husbands, but also the purity of the other men in our lives. I'm just going to say it: When our Facebook status says, "Pink lace," it doesn't matter how discreet we think we are being, it's not just a Facebook status update. To a man, it's a visual image of a woman who is not his wife. James made efforts to stay off of Facebook for a few days to help keep his thoughts pure, and that's just how one godly man responded. I'm sure there are men out there who took that simple game as an open invitation.

That situation was a good reminder for me to remember how different males and females are and to be extra careful to protect the Christian brothers in my life. Just as women desire to be protected and loved, we need to protect men from impure thought lives in every way we have control over- even if it seems like it's just a cute, fun game in support of a good cause.

As someone who has struggled to keep a pure thought life, here's a verse that helps me when making decisions: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).