As a mother of seven daughters, we’ve had a discussion or two about purity in our house. However, when I tried to think of a specific conversation, I couldn’t at first. Then I realized why. I almost never use the word “purity”. It’s a good word—solid and true. But there’s an ugly side of the purity coin: self-righteousness. And while I don’t think it was a conscious decision, I wanted to avoid that.
We all have it. Self-righteousness is pervasive throughout humanity, much less the church. But there are certain words in the church that seem to cultivate pride like a Hollywood agent looking for the next celebrity darling. “Conservative”, “purity”, and its close cousin, “modesty”, are just three. They sound so beautiful, and even lofty. And it’s because they are beautiful—or rather, they can be. But, if we’re not careful and in hearts not focused on the Lord instead of self, they almost insist on parading themselves as holier, godlier, and sometimes cooler than other words and principles.
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