Recently, I have been reading an amazing book called 'Set-Apart Femininity' by: Leslie Ludy. I'm not even to the second chapter yet, but I have still experienced the wonderful way she depicts the difference between giving up one's life wholly for Christ, and living to try to please both God and the world. The book is certainly intended for women, so guys... don't expect to be wowed.
Here are some quotes from the book that I just LOVE:
"Neither the world's version of beauty nor the modern self-esteem message truly fulfills our longing to shine with enchanting grace and princess-like dignity. And neither avenue meets that deeper inner desire to radiate with feminine beauty that never fades.
But there is another kind of womanly beauty - one that we don't hear much about in today's world. It's the dazzling loveliness of set-apart femininity.
Set-apart femininity exudes a beauty that is not of this world; it's the sectacular radience of a woman completely transformed by the Author of all things lovely and pure.
Set-apart femininity, contrary to what you might be thinking, is not stodgy and grim-faced with drab, shapeless clothes, librarian glasses, and a 20-pound Bible under one arm. ...
Set-apart femininity blends the classic womanly grace and dignity of an Audrey Hepburn with the sacrificial, poured-out-for-Christ lifestyle of an Amy Carmichael. It's true feminine beauty merged with absolute abandonment to Jesus Christ. It's the sparkling, vibrant, world-altering, Christlike version of femininity that your King created you to exude."
"The spectacular sparkle of set-apart femininity is found through absolute abandonment to the Author of all true beauty. It's found by exchanging a life consumed with self for a life consumed with Jesus Christ, by trading the desire to be attractive to this world for the longing to be attractive to Him alone. Find a woman who cares about nothing but loving, serving, honoring, and glorifying Jesus Christ, and you will see who truly is "the fairest of them all.""
"It's a lot easier to build our lives around the pursuit of wordly applause and selfish pleasure and just fit Christ in somewhere on the side than to radically pour out our lives in sacrificial devotion to Him."
"...I believe there is so much more to being a Christian young woman than what we have settled for today. Christian femininity has sunk to dismally low standards, and we are evidencing the consequences of our compromise in rocky romances, stressful family relationships, mediocre marriages, empty spirituality, and unhappy, unfulfilled lives."
"Modern Christianity focused on helping me live at least somewhat morally in the midst of all the pop-culture attractions that constantly bombarded my senses. But it didn't challenge me to shift my affections away from pop-culture attractions altogether.
Like countless young women today, I lived with one foot in the world and the other in the murky waters of Christian compromise. I lived my life only two or three steps ahead of the culture's standards."
"I was a "Christian" young woman. But I was not a set-apart young woman.
Still to this day, I am flooded with gratitude that God did not leave me in that state of mediocrity. Gently, patiently, and lovingly, He began to open my eyes to see how far from being His princess of purity I really was. And He began to show me a glorious new pattern for my life as a young woman - His pattern. It's a pattern that is continually being built and shaped within my life, even to this day. It's the pattern of set-apart femininity, and it's God's sacred intent for each of our lives.
This book doesn't present a comfortable message. It won't show you how to live a self-indulgent life with a little Christian morality tacked on. ...
This book presents a vision for a whole different kind of Christian femininity than what we see all around us today. And if you allow it to, it will awaken you to a whole new way to live that will change your existance forever.
It is possible, even in today's world, to posses that spectacular, radient, lasting feminine lovliness that we've dreamed about since childhood. And not only is it possible, it is God's sacred intent for each and every one of His daughters."
(End of quotes)
I encourage all of you young women to take a closer look at this book. Set-Apart Femininity has a fantastic message for Christian women living in our chaotic world. Even this first chapter has been speaking to my heart, and I want to share it in the sincere hope that it will also speak to yours.
God bless, always! ♥
(The quotes above belong to Leslie Ludy and Harvest House Publishers. Please, do not copy or misuse any of these quotes. Thank you.)
"Like countless young women today, I lived with one foot in the world and the other in the murky waters of Christian compromise. I lived my life only two or three steps ahead of the culture's standards."
ReplyDeleteThat really hit home with me. It's like I'm not expected to even BE more than two or three steps ahead -- if I'm that far, I'm doin' good! You know the book Do Hard Things? Well yeah, I think it's kind of like that -- we're a generation who has been given low expectations. We need to rise above them -- and not just a little bit. We need to be totally alive in Christ. Totally and completely... and I really am struggling with that.
I'm so glad that spoke to you! Yes, I have heard about Do Hard Things, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet. I just love books that continually remind me to stop living like the rest of the world and justifying all we can of it; and then encourage me to strive to put the Lord first and foremost in everything.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's one Christian alive who doesn't struggle with making Christ number one, but I want you to be encouraged. It wasn't anything any of us did that brought us Salvation, it was Christ alone. In the same way, we can't make ourselves perfect and wholly devoted to Him, but His Spirit continually working in our hearts, the reading and storing in our hearts of His precious Word, and His incredible love, which - if we meditate on continuously - causes us to love Him more, and strive better to sin less.
And doing something for the Lord instead for oneself is FAR more satisfying! Choosing to be modest in the clothes one wears, choosing to spend the last hour of the day with God in His Word and in prayer istead of watching one's favorite movie... that brings a kind of joy and contentedness that LASTS!