A Maiden's Influence....on her brothers (and other young men).Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
I have read many articles on how important it is for we as older sisters to be good examples for our siblings and particularly our younger sisters. They see all we do and hear all we say and mimic our actions.But I want to focus on the influence we as maidens have on our brothers and other young men.
Look around you, what do you see? Do you see a majority of young women cheaply dressing and selling themselves short? Do you see what our young men have to deal with? Boys and men have to deal daily with the bomdbardment of what society says is acceptable. The clothing, the attitude, the walk, the pictures etc. One can hardly go anywhere anymore without seeing something that is offensive. We can change that or at least be the very best examples we can be by dressing modestly and by acting as virtuous young women!
Our young men should be able to come home to a safe haven where their senses do not have to fight against sinning.
A woman who acts like a lady can bring out the best manners in a man.Sisters can encourage their brothers to open doors for ladies, treat them with respect, and learn what not to say in the presence of a lady. (There are some things that men may talk about that are not exactly suitable in the presence of a lady). I don't mean to nag your brothers but discreetly tell them what is and is not polite to do. But the best tool is your actions. Do you act like a lady or a tomboy in the presence of your brothers? Do you laugh at a crude joke? How are your manners? your dress?It does not matter what age your brothers may be, you can be an example to them all. You can have your little brother open the door or carry heavier things for your little sister. Tell them that God has designed for men to be protectors of women. The Bible story of Ruth and Boaz is a good example of this.Another thing: Don't forget to thank your brothers and acknowledge their efforts as they go forth being the men that God would have them to be.
~Jaclynn R.
12 comments:
Jaclynn,
Thankyou for your post. I never thought of that one angle. Thankyou for sharing!
Laura H.
You are welcome! =)
Thank you for your contribution, Jaclynn. Good point. And even if a young lady doesn't have brothers, she still has to keep in mind her influence on young men around her.
PS: Do you know that ever since I switched to skirts/dresses only, the number of men who open the door for me increased dramatically? I always make a point to say 'thank you' and smile graciously, so that they are encouraged to open doors for other women, too!
You can also be a good person to "practice" on for a young man/boy. My brother (who isn't all that young anymore at 19) will use his good manners when given the opportunity, for example, if I rush ahead to open the door for myself, there you go. On the other hand, if I stand by the door until he catches up and opens it for me, he is able to show his "gentility", so to speak.
So it's not only important to provide an example and encourage them to do the right things, it's also important to let them use their manners.
I once hear/read that the best way to see how a suitor would treat you is to see how he treats his mother and sisters, because that is the way he will treat you after the "romance" has "worn off".
God Bless!
PandaBean:
So right!! A long time ago, I knew an abusive man, who treated me good for a while... but you should have seen how awfully he spoke to his mother. He was lazy and never helped her when she asked him to. No wonder he started treating me the same eventually.
Now I'm engaged to a man who uses his short weekend to help his sister and her husband paint the garage. :-)
Anna,
I do think that women who dress more feminine are treated with more respect! Congratulations, I didn't know you were engaged and it sounds like he is a wonderful guy!
I agree with your point, PandaBean! And it also works vice versa, how I treat my brothers now is a good sign off how I will treat my future husband.
Exactly Jaclynn. It's amazing how much one can learn about another person simply by seeing them in the context of their own homes. I'm sure this is why courting used to work so well in the past, no one really left home, particularly ladies, until they were ready to start a life together, so it was easy to see them with their families. As a "date" they would have dinner at each other's homes instead of going out.
Now a days, most people move out of the house right out of high school for college and then never move back, or they do move back, but are so embarrassed they never invite anyone over. There is absolutly no reason to be embarrassed about not leaving home. My husband has a cousin who lived at home until she got married last year, at the age of 44! (So there's hope for you older maydens!) While yes, she and her boyfriend (at the time) went out on dates, I met them both several times at family events.
God Bless!
Great post! Thanks for sharing. :)
P.S. I just found your blog through a comment you left on Maidens of Worth. :)
A heart of praise,
Thankyou for visiting. I hope to hear more from you!
Laura H
There's hope ALWAYS! I saw ladies (and men), get married for the first time, or have a fresh start after a painful experience, at different ages, situation, conditions etc. As long as our hearts are pure and open in prayer, nothing is impossible.
Yes, we truly have a big influence! I am blessed with two wonderful brothers. One is married and has 4 children, and the other is almost 19. Elijah's such a gentleman, opening doors and things - it's so nice!
I keep accidentally posting using our double account! ^That was me. =)
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