I dress enticingly every day…

Some of you who know me may chuckle a little when I say this, because… well… sometimes “prudish” may be a more accurate description.  More than once have I received the title “goody-two-shoes.”  What can I say – I’ve always been pretty old-fashioned.  But I have, on occasion, gotten pretty close to toeing the modesty line.  Hey, we all like getting attention sometimes, don’t we?  It’s a temptation – Satan knows how to get to us.

So when I say I dress enticingly on a daily basis, what do I mean?  Let me give an illustration: a person who really knows how to fish knows that there are different kinds of lures and baits that attract particular fish.  If they want to catch trout, they know where to find it, and what to use to get its attention.  When I was single, I knew this same concept worked for people, too.

At one point, I worked with a girl who wore skin-tight clothing, very low-cut tops, and spent time in places where less-than-reputable men frequented.  What kind of guy do you think this young lady attracted?  Strangely, she was very offended when she caught a guy staring at her bust, and the stories she told of being hit on by undesirable men were always told in an indignant tone.  I always wondered what she was expecting.

On the completely opposite side of the coin, one of my best friends as a teenager was a girl who had a code-word her friends or siblings could use if her bra-strap accidentally peeked out from the sleeve of her very modest tops.  This young lady had every decent guy’s attention for a 50-mile radius.  She wore loose-fitting pants that revealed only the fact that she had a slim waist – everything else was a mystery.  Young men were always shy, attracted, but able to carry on a conversation with her because they didn’t feel spiritually attacked when they looked her way.

The first girl wore immodest clothing that – go figure – got the attention of men who lacked morals.  The second young lady attracted the spiritually-minded young men who would have purposefully averted their eyes from my co-worker in an attempt to keep a pure mind.  Now there’s a guy worth paying attention to!

Solomon gives us tons of insight on how men are enticed when we read the Proverbs.  We learn from chapter seven that a woman that dresses like a harlot, who is boisterous and rebellious, attracts young men that are lacking in sense.  A great catch, indeed!  What if I don’t want a young man lacking sense?  What if I want the son of a wise man, a guy who fears the Lord and appreciates wisdom?  Then I need to dress and behave in a way that would entice such a man and not send him running in the opposite direction.  The proof is in the pudding!  If, as a single lady, I was always receiving unwanted attention from men who lack morals, it would have been time to evaluate my wardrobe.  If, however, they displayed no interest in me, but I had many godly young men for friends, that’s another story.  If these were at ease around me, why compromise that by stooping to wear something they would have to be diligent not to “see” so as not to sin?

My challenge to any young lady in pursuit of an excellent husband: read the book of Proverbs, and highlight every section in which Solomon is instructing his sons concerning women.  If you’re looking for that strong, godly man, this will let you know what you need to do, what you need to be, and what you need to wear in your efforts to attract his attention.

By Keeley Rollert
Keeley Rollert and her husband, David, are currently students at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver.  They were married December 2008, and they look forward to working in whatever ministry God has planned for them when they finish school in May, 2011.