Modesty, Honesty, Integrity, Virtue, Love, Devotion, Fidelity, Faithfulness, Commitment, & Purity.
Beautiful gifts for ourselves and for others.
Modesty is more than just dressing conservatively, integrity is more than just keeping a promise, honesty is more than just telling the truth, virtue is more than just abstinence, purity is more than just celibacy, love is more than just affection, devotion is more than just admiration, fidelity is more than just not physically cheating on your partner, faithfulness is more than just being in a relationship that passes a general monogamy test, and commitment is more than just staying together.
Relationships that are special to us are ones that we cultivate, protect, and respect. We prioritize them. In a committed partnered relationship, dually, we are individual and together, two and one at the same time. You're both complete and whole respectively, together and apart, joined and separate. ESPECIALLY in the case of marriage.
There's definitely more to being faithful in a relationship than just not cheating on your significant other (physical fidelity). Loving them, cherishing, them, respecting them, protecting your connection with them, and not letting any outside parasites threaten the special place that they hold in your heart. In marriage, the scriptures says that "two become one flesh".
"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." - Catherine about Heathcliff and herself ("Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë).
Love isn't just a feeling, it's also a choice. Guard your special love, protect it from any parasitic threats, anything that tries to counterfeit the intimacy, the closeness, and the devotion between the two of you. No matter how provocative, alluring, and / or appealing the external distractions might be, they CAN and will harm your relationship if they are allowed to get in the way.
"[Love] always protects." - 1 Corinthians 13:7.
"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:8.
"A man shall leave his Father and his Mother, and be joined to his Wife; and they shall become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24.
"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of [the Creators] lives forever." - 1 John 2:17.
"We must not neglect nor slight the duties we owe to ourselves or others; But we must do them earnestly and carefully. This is faithfulness or fidelity." - "Ethics: An Early American Handbook (A Reprint of an 1890 Original)".
Vulgarity is sometimes mistaken for "beauty", "attractiveness", and "interesting". The sleazily showing off of supposed beauty, of supposed talent, and / or even supposed wit in a crude manner, whether to attract attention or to shock, is not the beauty, the talent, the wit, themselves, and subtracts from the valuable virtue of what could have potentially been a treasure.
There are rocks, and there are jewels, and their are geodes. These natural elements might all be beautiful in their own rights, respectively, but let's use this as an analogy of physical attractiveness and / or of a beautiful personality (kindness, helpfulness, compassion, love, hope, faith, strength, etc.).
You can try to make up for all of your insecurities and your flaws and your cruelty underneath your appearance and your works with hidden ulterior motives, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they will be remedied or covered up or hidden.
"Not all that glitters is gold." - William Shakespeare.
Modesty is respectful to both ourselves and to other people. It is reserved, proper, and virtuous. It shows good morals and good values.
"Having witnessed your chaste behaviour carried out with reverance; Whose adorning, let it not be the external adornment of braiding the hair, or wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in costly clothing; But let your adornment be the inward person of the heart, manifested in the incorruptible jewel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great value in [the Creators'] sight." - 1 Peter 3:2-4.
"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her value is far above rubies. The heart of her husband trusts safely in her, so that she shall have no lack of gain. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12.
"She binds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong." - Proverbs 31:17.
"She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy." - Proverbs 31:20.
"Her Husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." - Proverbs 31:23.
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness." - Proverbs 31:25-26.
"Her children rise up and call her 'blessed", her Husband also, and he praises her: 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.' Favo[u]r is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears [the Creators], she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her." - Proverbs 31:28-31.
Purity can also be "purity of heart and mind", gentleness, compassion, kindness, respect, generosity, helpfulness, modesty, honesty, good intentions, positivity, remaining hopeful, keeping the faith, and actively trying to keep your thought life healthy and clean.
"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as [the Father, through the Messiah] also has forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:32. "
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Proverbs 15:1.
"[Love] believes all things, hopes all things.' - Proverbs 13:7. "Render service with a good attitude, as to the [the Creators] and not to men." - Ephesians 6:7.
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Matthew 6:20.
"Purity is freedom from all such thoughts, words, and actions as modesty and delicacy condemn; it is to avoid these things ourselves and never willingly to witness them in others." - "Ethics: An Early American Handbook (A Reprint of an 1890 Original)".
The truth and honesty are so valuable. Everyone deserves the truth, and to lie is almost as to steal from someone and to violate their right to the truth. That doesn't necessarily mean saying horribly judgemental things for the sake of being blunt about your negative thoughts. Being honest about your own perceptions doesn't necessarily mean that what you think about someone / something is definitely true. Subjective truths might not always reflect objective truths. (Perhaps obviously.)
"[Love] does not rejoice with unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth." - 1 Corinthians 13:6.
"Truth is sincerity; in all we say and do, we must be sincere. We must not make false impressions, directly or indirectly." - "Ethics: An Early American Handbook (A Reprint of an 1890 Original)".
"It is wrong to take the property of others without their consent, or to get any advantage from them by deception or concealment, or any false contrivance. He who does this, or attempts to do it, or even desires to do it, is not honest." - "Ethics: An Early American Handbook (A Reprint of an 1890 Original)".
My Suggested Posts:
"~ Some Things To Do. | A Vague But Specific List Of 50(-Ish) Activities To Do. ~"
"A Profound Essay on the Subjects of Life, Reality, Perception, Subjectiveness, Objectiveness, and Possibilities."
"{ASMR} 100 Personal Positive Affirmations {"I" Statements} {Positivity} {With Music}."
"Authentically Positive Personal Development | Dealing With Fear, Insecurity, Jealousy Issues, Trust Issues, and Attachment."
"Jealousy & Envy | Boundaries, Compromise, & Sacrifice (Plus Some Reassurances / Some Affirmations)."
Other Suggested Resources:
"Why You Should Stop Trying to Love Yourself" By Tonya Leigh.
"How to go from Self Obsession to Truly Living" By Tonya Leigh.
"Mindfulness Lessons" by DBTSelfHelp.com.
"There is No Such Thing as Irrational Jealousy" by Emma Lindsay. (A Note: This particular article does mention some sexual-related themes. This is not an endorsement of / for such.)
"The Reason You Are Needy" by Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D. (Here's a "hint": Basically all of us are needy, because basically all of us have needs. Having different needs doesn't necessarily mean that it's a bad thing / the end of the world.)
"Can Jealousy be Beautiful? The Answer is Yes!" by Tonya Leigh. (I mean, discovering that you like something that someone else has and deciding to get something like it for yourself can maybe be a positive thing. As long as we're not acting wrongfully due to covetuousness. Again, one of the Ten Commandments is not to covet. Remember, a lot of bad things can stem from seemingly simple things like lust, covetuousness, and even anger [not necessarily that anger, itself, is a sin, but anger can lead to other negative things sometimes if / when not properly managed]. "Be angry and do not sin." - Ephesians 4:26.)
"Modesty Starter Kit" by Ej Ono (ProModesty.com).
