Sarah is a wonderful Christian woman and she’s passionate about honoring the Lord in every area of her life.  I’m here to testify that she lives out what she’s encouraging us to do.  Enjoy!

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It’s exciting to me to be guest posting for my wonderful sis in law today. It’s a privilege!

At my blog, Living To Worship, I have written several times about modest dress.  It’s so often misconstrued and misunderstood.  Ranking right up there in that misunderstood, misconstrued category is healthy living.

Isn’t it amazing that something that should be so simple has become so complicated?  It seems to be dominated by either harsh, extreme rules that no one can consistently follow, OR such liberalism that all vision of health and chastity is lost.

I want to try impart something of the things I’ve learned in my young life (I just turned 26 last Monday, March 9th!) that have helped me to become very disciplined and very free at the same time.

The truth of God’s Word gives us some absolutes in the book of 1 Corinthians that have shaped the way I approach life and the way I handle this body I’ve been given.

In 1 Corinthians 11:29, Paul is sharply correcting the Corinthian church for the way they’ve been managing the Lord’s Supper.  He tells them because they haven’t been discerning the Lord’s body, many are sickly, weak and many sleep (die!!!).

I believe we can draw on the principle of not discerning the Lord’s Body when it comes to our daily lives as well. Because, we find out in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 that we are literally the temples of God: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.”

WOW – those are strong words!

We’re told again in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

I think it’s interesting that Paul mentions glorifying God in our bodies FIRST.  Is it possible that when we’re not glorifying God by modestly clothing our bodies and keeping them fit and healthy, then we’re not truly glorifying Him in our spirits either?  After all, these verses make it very clear that OUR BODIES belong to Him, not just our spirits.

We could discuss healthy eating and modesty “rules” all day long.  But until we deal with the heart of the matter, even the good guidelines can’t truly make a difference in our lives.

If we would begin to approach the way we treat our bodies as a means of honoring God and recognize that our bodies are truly not our own, we can get consistent and stay consistent when it comes to living chaste and healthy lives.

These are some practical guidelines that I live by everyday:

1. SET AN ABSOLUTE

If you don’t have a plan, you’ll wear or eat anything. Set an absolute, so that you have a boundary that is non-negotiable.

2. MAKE YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

Station someone in your life who won’t give you any wiggle room and give them  permission to correct you.

3. PUT YOUR HAND TO THE PLOW AND DON’T LOOK BACK

(Luke 9:62, Matthew 10:38)

Use your words to support your decision.

Don’t allow thoughts in your mind or words to come out of your mouth about how much you miss being able to eat/wear whatever you want.

Don’t undermine yourself with, “Oh that deep fried macaroni and double cheese with bacon and mayonnaise sandwich looks soooooooo good!!!!!”

Or, in reference to an article of clothing, keep saying, “this is not so bad, this is not so bad, this is not so bad, this is not so bad…” as you desperately try to convince yourself that what you’re wearing is “modest enough.”

If you’re having to ask, “Is this modest?”, then it probably isn’t!

4. REMIND YOURSELF DAILY (OR MOMENT BY MOMENT) THAT YOU’RE DOING THIS FOR JESUS

(1 Corinthians 6:20)

Remember, Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.”

Desire is a powerful thing. Stir up the desire that God has already placed within you to honor Him in every area of your life, including your body. When you do that this tree of life will spring up, take deep root in your life and will produce the fruit that remains!

Jennie the owner of Sense and Sensibility Patterns has just announced that she has e-patterns for sale.

I have a few of her patterns and they are lovely.  They are printed on paper instead of the easy- to- rip tissue like other patterns.  The children’s patterns are very charming.

I really like this dress. I’d like to sew a few to have something pretty to wear at home.