Make-up and the Gospel

I brought the brush to my nose. The foundation puffed into the air as I brushed it over my face. I felt like I was hiding, that somehow, I was covering up the real me.
Honestly, I still don’t know what I believe about make-up, I am still trying to work out if it is bad or good. But, we all think differently. So many good Christian girls wear make-up, and some of them strictly don’t wear it. I think it is what is in your heart.

Here are some quotes and bible verses that I have been really thinking about:

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent [our body], is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house [body] not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. – 2 Corinthians 5:1

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. – 2 Corinthians 5:10

Make sure what’s on the outside reflect the purity of the inside. – A Young Women After Gods Own Heart, by Elisabeth George.

Our goal should be to make ourselves presentable; remove all distractions; draw attention to our face, eyes and smile; and let our outward appearance showcase the inner joy, peace and love Christ is cultivating within our soul. – The Lost Art of True Beauty, by Leslie Ludy.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. – Proverbs 31:30

But when make-up ceases to accent the face and begins to cover the natural beauty God made, then it reflects the mixed-up priorities of the wearer. – Uncompromising, by Hannah Farvar.

There is a certain honesty and vulnerability in a clean, unembellished face. It shows humility and draws attention from the merely external to the soul shining through the eyes. – from the article, The Eye of the Beholder, by Bethany Patchin Torode. .

Take some time over these questions:

Why do I wear make-up?
Is make-up glorifying God in my life, or is it distracting me from Him?
Do I draw attention to myself, or to Jesus?

This is what Myra, a sister in Christ, thinks about make-up:

Why do we decorate houses or put flowers on our table or take anything and make it more beautiful? I believe that God made us to want beauty and crave beauty because He loves it. There is a beauty in Christianity, and I don't think it is wrong to take our physical appearances and make them more beautiful anymore than it is to take those things around us and make them more beautiful…if we are purposely masking our appearances because we are discontent with them, then we need to deal with our hearts. Our true confidence and our true beauty should come from knowing that we are daughters and servants of Jesus Christ and not from dressing like the latest models or wearing a pound of eye make-up.

…It's just that we have to remember that who we are on the outside isn't everything. There is so much more beyond the surface of our skin!...

~ Meggie

True Beauty - Leslie Ludy

~ Meggie

But don't guys have a responsibility too?

I looked down at what I was wearing: a cute purple shirt with a singlet underneath, protecting the low neck-line of the shirt; a purple, blue and pink flowery mini skirt with black tights. I bent down in front of the mirror. Good, the shirt didn’t seem to gape. Then I let my arms hang down. The shirt opened right up. Well, if I stood up straight and didn’t bend down without holding my shirt down I would be all good…right? Oh, and if my skirt didn’t fly up, I would be fine too. If I don’t have to run a race or anything, I will be fine. I thought.
But I frowned as I looked down at myself again.
Honestly, if I wanted to make sure I was perfectly modest, shouldn’t I ditch fashion and wear ankle long dresses that have a rectangle shape and a neckline that sits tightly around my neck? If I want to be a hundred percent modest, do I need wear that sort of thing?
Most days started off like this. Looking down at my clothes, and thinking how if this happened, and this happened, then I my shirt would gape, or my lower regions would be in the spotlight. I had to start thinking, if I am really out to not be a temptation, should I make sure nothing can be seen? I jumped onto the Modesty Survey, and I noticed they had the question posed at guys: What is your responsibility? Read one of their responses.

As a guy, what is your responsibility in this area? What is your role in guarding your eyes and mind (as opposed to the women's role of dressing modestly)?

If we seek to meditate on the sexual elements of her appearance, we're sinning and they're fine. If we have to make a conscious effort to avoid it more than usual, it's likely immodest. - from a fifteen year old guy.

Ultimately it is a guy's responsibility whether or not he is going to keep himself pure. No one can be forced to sin. However, a lot of girls don't realize how very diffucult it is for even the most godly guy to resist temptation in this area. It is so easy to let your eyes go to the wrong places, especially with the way our culture is today. It is the guy's decision whether he is going to sin or not, but a girl can make it a lot easier, or a girl can make it incredibly difficult. - from a fifteen year old guy.

(Modesty Survey, Survey Results, Open Questions, As a guy, what is your responsibility in this area? What is your role in guarding your eyes and mind (as opposed to the women's role of dressing modestly)? http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/browse)

I realized that even if I wore a dress that covered everything, guys walking down the street, or in a shopping centre, would still think sexual thoughts. I realized that guys have a responsibility too; that they must try just as hard as us girls to keep their minds pure; and I realized that anything can happen, and I will never be prepared for everything the way I dress.

Takes a weight off your mind, doesn’t it?

In a nutshell: we dress modestly, and remove any stumbling blocks, but guys have a responsibility too.

~ Meggie

What I Believe about Modesty...

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands. – Psalm 90:17

I believe that my clothing must glorify God.

I believe that if what I wear is making me be someone I am not, then I am not glorifying God.

I believe that I wear the clothes that I wear so that guys, and others will notice and compliment me, then I am not glorifying God.

I believe that if I choose my clothing on the basis that I want to fit in with the fashion trends, then I am not glorifying God, but going after fashion as my idol.

Basically, when I choose clothes, anything that is tight, and shows every curve of my body shape, if it has a low neckline that shows any part of my breasts in any way and any action (bending down etc.), if it is shorter than my knees, than it is immodest.

But don’t drop me out as a ‘frump’! I still like to look beautiful, I just know that beauty isn’t everything. I like wearing ankle long beach dresses, knee-length skirts with tights underneath, and I love my boots.

God isn’t telling you that you cannot be tasteful, that you have to be unfashionable and wear bland clothes that cover every inch of skin. He is saying He has an even better way. That by being modest, at the end of the day, is more beautiful.

Love others more than you love yourself. We are here to serve others, even in our clothing.

~ Meggie

Check out Christa Taylor, a young woman who has embraced modesty with her blog: http://www.empoweredtraditionalist.com/  where she posts about modesty, and where you can find some great modest clothing.

Clothing and Modesty

Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. – Luke 12:23

Today instead of writing a proper post, I want to share some quotes and bible verses. Clothing is something that you must ask God for yourself what you shouldn’t and should wear. You need to talk to God alone about this, and decide what your boundaries will be. Because I know if I don’t have strict boundaries and I see a really cute top, with a low neckline, I will buy it anyway.

At the end of the post there is some questions. Think deeply about these questions, and ask God to show you the answers.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. – Philippians 2:4

If any interest draws our eyes [away] from Him, it’s sin. – Uncompromising, by Hannah Farver

Upper chest, thighs, stomach- these might seem like harmless areas to show off, but if you were married and wanted to stay that way, you wouldn’t allow another guy to touch you in any of those places. So why would you allow another guy to have the privilege of looking at what was meant for your husband’s pleasure alone? – The Lost Art of True Beauty, Leslie Ludy

Ladies, do you relate to your guy friends in a way that would make their future wives want to seek you out and thank you for being a sister to their husbands? – I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris

The way we dress sends a message to those around us, whether we mean it or not. – The Lost Art of True Beauty, by Leslie Ludy.

There is a website called The Modesty Survey, which is a survey that hundreds of guys around the globe have filled out, giving us girls some help in choosing modest clothes. To find out what guys find immodest jump on there. Here are some quotes from this website.

 

The honest truth is this: We're not telling you what to wear -- we're just telling you what we, as guys, have to guard against. It is God's Word, your own heart and conscience, and your parents and godly friends who should help you decide what to do about it. But, to help you reach your own conclusions we've provided some excellent resources that strike a balanced, non-legalistic tone.

 – The Modesty Survey, http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/overview

If you could say one thing to your sisters in Christ about modesty, what would it be?

Please don’t take modesty lightly. As your brother in Christ I value the relationship that I will have with my wife someday. When I am tempted because of you I lose a part of myself that I am trying to save for her. When I’m tempted because of you I become that much more accepting of the perversions in the world. When you remain pure and modest, my life is made so much easier. Instead of watching to ensure that I don’t sin I can focus on you as a person and fellow follower of Christ. I appreciate modesty more than you’ll ever know. Please, show respect of yourself and of me and be modest.  – From a sixteen year old guy.

Embrace it. Even though it always seems like guys only "want one thing," I, being a guy myself, can speak for most guys when I say that deep down inside most guys really just want a girl that has the confidence to not cheapen herself by dressing immodestly. It is time for both guys and girls to rise above the age-old stereotypes thrown at us by the media, adults, and each other, and take modesty to heart! – From a seventeen year old guy. - Modesty Survey: http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/browse On 'Open Questions' and then 'If you could say one thing to your sisters in Christ about modesty, what would it be?" What does your appearance say about you? Do you look for compliments from others? Do I spend more time each day on dressing, than spending time with God? Do you draw attention to yourself, or to Christ? What would God have you do? Are you dressing how you want, or have you asked God to reveal to you how He would have you dress?

~ Meggie