At Boaz Ministries, Bruce posted a poem he wrote titled "Exceptional Men". It's a wonderful piece listing the characteristics of a good man that all women want. An encouraging call to men to rise to higher standards and be all that God intended. I was thinking about this quite a bit, and felt something needed to be said to the ladies as well. We know what we don't want in a mate, but are we doing all we can to be the woman God has called us to be - and be "exceptional women"? Sharing:
Time
to flip the script and take a necessary moment to discuss the
importance of being the exceptional woman who attracts that exceptional
man. The process of building Godly character does not happen overnight.
And I have it on good authority that the seductive and loose behaviors
that some of the sisters display will indeed attract attention – but
not from the exceptional man.
In my youth Bible study group,
the young ladies and young men range from ages 14-20. And in our
discussions I have found so many who simply lack information on the
basics. Parents who are trying to give their children a Christian
upbringing have tough competition from the streets and society. Many of
our young people have no idea what self-respect looks like – and so much
of their understanding is twisted. So the concept of being a “lady”
(or “gentleman”) is foreign.
Those of us who are older, say,
30s through 50s… ought to know better about basic etiquette,
appropriateness in attire, self-control, and how to hold polite,
intelligent conversation. It is disheartening, however, to find that
there are still so many who lack these skills.
Ladies, we are
being watched. And while we may enjoy it, be sure the brothers are
looking even when we don’t know it. Beyond our impeccable style of
clothes and those awesome pumps – and the proper accessories, think
about what else he’s taking note of. How do we interact with our
friends, coworkers, family, and other brothers? Are we always gossiping,
giving up the 4-1-1? What’s that language we use? Can we conjugate a
verb correctly; speak without using slang and cursing? Like the old
school brothers used to say, “Does she have anything on the cap?”
The Bible says quite a few things about the deportment of an
“exceptional woman”. All of us have probably heard of Proverbs 31 – the
chapter on the Virtuous Woman. A virtuous woman is a person of high
moral standards and behavior. (the term "virtuous" applies to men as
well) Most Christian women strive to attain those characteristics, by
the power and grace of God. In that lovely description, the virtuous
(noble, upright, of integrity) woman already has a husband. And she
knows how to run the house and handle her business outside the home! And
her husband is proud of her - proud to be her man! I maintain she
didn’t become “virtuous” overnight. This was something she cultivated,
and made intentional efforts to become. She was probably taught in the
ways of God from childhood.
It’s ok if someone didn’t receive
the training from home – the important thing is that they get the
information. Now is the right time! The Word of God says something
wonderful in several places about the influence we as women have over
the men in our lives – even men who may not be believers. The message
is to wives, specifically, but the teaching is good for ALL women:
"… wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who
refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them
better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure,
godly behavior. Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends
on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You
should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 1
Peter 3:1-4 NLT
I love that passage because it says so much
about how vital it is that we behave ourselves and watch the way we
handle our business and other people. “Winning” a man over to the Lord
through the way we live daily, is the highest accomplishment, in my
opinion. This can happen when we make up our minds to be the woman God
wants us to be.
When the Lord is our focus – and we’re living
by His power – our demeanor changes, our choices are different – there
is confidence in our stride. We are exceptional because of the wonderful
transformation that is taking place within us!
And the exceptional man will know who you are; because he’s been watching!
Blessings!
From Boaz Ministries https://www.facebook.com/theboazministries
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