This week-end is the big, annual show for my belly dance troupe and once again I'm not in it. I'm sure this confuses and probably annoys my teacher, Eman. All the girls I dance with get very excited and work very hard in the month leading up to the show. They learn and perfect the 3 or 4 dances they are in and it's a little awkward for me, since I'm one of the few girls not in the show. The other few girls not participating are usually doing so because it's too expensive. I've explained my stance a few times, but most just say, "Oh, it must be because she's a Pastor's wife, too bad."
Belly dancing is a beautiful, ancient art, but also a beautiful, very seductive form of dance. As my dad once said, "I don't think the Shulamite woman was doing the Hokey Pokey for Solomon!" The only place I practice my "art" is in the studio with the other women I dance with. I have fun, get some exercise and that's it. This begs the question, why? Is it because I'm a "pastor's wife?" Or is there something more?
Ephesians 5:3 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
Wow, not even a hint of immorality or impurity, not just for pastor's or their wives, but any of God's people.
Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."
As a Christian and a married woman my allegiance belongs first to Christ and then to my husband. My body is a temple of the living God. I am not free to flaunt it seductively before other men. I am commanded to dress modestly and treat other men as brothers. I honor my marriage by being sexually pure and that doesn't mean just by being physically faithful to my husband. That also means keeping my body only for him. No other man is given the opportunity to look lustfully at my body dancing! Even if I were not married, I would still be obligated by God to honor him by keeping my body pure and helping my brothers to not sin by looking lustfully at a woman.
So, I continue to enjoy my dancing behind the closed doors of my home and with the comraderie of the other girls in the dance studio. I'm "missing" the big show, but I'm really not missing much of anything. I've gained God's approval which is worth more to me than the approval of man, and the love and respect of my husband.
I love it! And in the end may you hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" Living out your faith in this area blesses and encourages me.
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