**The Awakening of Sensuality *** The understanding of true beauty

Can it be that we have shielded our youth from sensuality in their early years, and now when they are awakened to it in an appropriate relationship such as marriage, they are not understanding the boundaries they should be keeping this area of life confined to? I know that for me, I saved myself for my husband, gave myself to my husband, and keep myself for my husband. I never felt the need to arouse or show off to other men. Just being the precious prize for my husband was enough. For him also, having me for himself was enough. He did not need to puff up his pride by showing the world the details of his wife’s body. To arouse another man by his wife’s form was never his agenda.

The important idea is what does God’s Word convey about how God would have us to live?

What would be the reasoning behind my dressing or acting provocative outside my bedroom?

·         My pride

·         My husband’s pride

·         Our own sinful lust

·         Denying Gods creation

·         Wanting to recreate man in my desired image

·         What is in the heart of a woman when she wears tight pants or shirts, revealing more and more of her flesh, and even wearing underwear that changes her proportions in a provocative way?

It seems that God created the sexual relationship between a man and a woman to be a private affair. A woman can be beautiful and desirous without being sensual. It does not take falsely enlarged breasts being shown off under tight, thin, scanty fabric to be beautiful. What a cheapening of self to think that is what it takes.

I met a woman at an activity my children were involved in. She was one of those cute little things who came in in very stylish clothes. High heels, tight jeans, funky hair and glasses. Any men around would usually drop their jaw and drool as she walked by. The world in its sinful desires makes us to think that this is the most desirous way to look. This gal was not showing so much flesh but truly adorning her lovely petite body in such a way as to easily turn men’s heads. Over the course of a couple years she asked my daughters and I a few questions here and there. Our families became friends truly by her reaching out to us because I was not a fan of hers from what I saw on the outside as most of the other women were. Turns out this was a neat Christian family who were willing to let God work in their lives. Homeschooling became an answer to some of the problems going on in their household. One day the mom commented that she realized that she had no skirts or dresses in her closet except for formal wear. Not one to be lacking in a complete closet she bought a casual skirt. Upon wearing it, she began to see a difference in life. A long story shortened. One evening this mom came in to drop off her kids. She was beautiful. I said wow, where are you going? She said that it was their anniversary and she and her husband were going out for dinner. I smiled and said to have fun.  I wrote that mom an email the next week asking her if her husband was unable to take his eyes off her during dinner and if he told her she was the most beautiful woman.  She wrote back an email to be cherished. She thanked me for the example my daughters and I had set for her and her girls. She said that yes that was basically how the dinner went and the depth of its meaning was rich beyond her hopes or dreams. She was very gracious and grateful for this newfound understanding of love and relationship between husband and wife. You see, what that beautiful woman had on that night was a longish dark skirt with low healed shoes. She had on a blouse that was a delicate white fabric with small embroidered flowers in a loose feminine style. On that was a light sleeveless sweater with matching embroideries. She had on very light makeup and her hair was down and straight with turned under ends. No flamboyant glasses to be seen. She floated in, quietly exuded her beauty, and then slipped out to join the love of her life. Her face radiated. Perhaps no men gawked at her that night, but it was for her husband she was beautiful. In that she found the utmost in fulfillment.

It is only sin creeping into our life that makes us think we need to be sensual before others to bring enjoyment or fulfillment or validation to our own lives. God created a perfect plan when he made sensuality to be between one man and one woman.  We can be complete and completely fulfilled through his perfect plan.