🐞The word "ladybug" is ironic to me. In my mind, "lady" and "bug" do not go together. I'm a lady and I have been known to scream at the sight of a bug. I have a man to take care of bugs for me. Men are handy to have around for that purpose. I do confess that, of all bugs, ladybugs are the cutest. Ladybugs are plentiful, but ladies are more of an endangered species today.
My children have asked, "Mom, did you hear that lady yelling at her children in the store?" I reply, "That was no lady. That was just a woman." You see, you might grow up to be a woman, but that doesn't automatically make you a lady.
Being a female is a matter of birth.
Being a woman is a matter of age.
Being a lady is a matter of choice.
Adapted from a quote by Ben Kinchelow
The same goes for male/man/gentleman.
We have to be careful that feminism doesn't creep into our thinking. God ordained a regal position for us as women. We are privileged to be in a place of honor. Why would we try to be masculine or to raise a defiant, clinched fist, as is depicted on the feminist logo? I've been thinking about starting my own movement: the feminine-est movement. I want to be the feminine-est that I can possibly be. Not just because I enjoy being a girl (well, most of the time), but because God chose well when he made me who I am. He is all-wise and knows the best way to do things. I want to live according to God's plan for me. I want to be whoever I am to the hilt. I want to be a lady with all my might.
A lady is a woman who is polite, well-mannered and refined (freed from impurities).
Being a lady does not mean being a snob. It is not about acting like you are better than other people. Being ladylike simply shows confidence and respect that puts others at ease.
Being a lady is where refinement and kindness meet.
That sounds like a delightful person to be around, doesn't it? People should be able to tell that we are steeped in wisdom, and that we've given attention to ourselves. Proverbs 31:26 says this of a virtuous woman: “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
I could write a sermon on all the things a lady is and isn't, but this one phrase tells us keepers🐝 what to keep:
PC: Evy Beach
This phrase has helped me many times to know what is appropriate. I find that our society decays when private things are allowed to be made public and sacred things are not held in their proper places. Things about your body and problems you have with other people are private. Every topic does not need to be brought up to other people. There are things we shouldn't show in public. A lady knows which things to keep private. She knows that talking about body functions or someone else's personal problems is not appropriate. She knows that nobody should see her scratching or grooming. She knows that special things aren't special anymore if they are paraded in the street and shared with everyone. Think about it. Do we really want to make our world a place where anything goes?
When there are no rules, private things are public and sacred things lose their meaning. A lady insists on living by a standard of decorum and self-control. And a Christian lady has every reason to promote decency and order (1 Corinthians 14:40). She is a representation of God.
Set a high standard for yourself. You don't have to be a girly girl to be a lady, but every woman, young and old, should desire to behave appropriately.