It was the late 80’s and early 90’s when Madonna, Prince and Janet Jackson led the fashion trends. I was far from God at that time and living in the world of bawdy fashion — until God got a hold of me. Once I began faithfully following Him, my identity began to change and I began reflecting His character more and more. The closer I grew to God, the more my wardrobe changed.
As women, we want to look our best. Complimentary clothing, a great hairstyle, and makeup are a girl’s best friend!! There is nothing ungodly about people admiring our appearance. But just as our actions reveal our character to others, our clothes reveal who we are and what we believe about ourselves.
God-developed beauty is an eternal beauty.
How are we, as women, reflecting our faith by what we wear? Are we drawing others to the heart of God, or are we using our appearance to draw attention to ourselves? I’m not promoting legalism, but I am suggesting we consider God’s view of holiness and what He has to say about our appearance.
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” 1Peter 3:3-4
We’ve all heard the quip, “If you’ve got — flaunt it,”but flaunting ourselves in low-cut shirts, short skirts, and tight clothing while living out our faith in Christ, draws attention to us rather than God. When we believe our worth is primarily defined by our appearance, we lack an understanding of how God defines our value, beauty, and worth. And, we misunderstand that our purpose is to glorify God and draw others to Him and not to ourselves.
Think about these truths:
- The feeling we get when we draw attention to ourselves is a false and short-lived feeling that will never truly satisfy us. The flesh can never be satisfied. Only God can fill the longings in our hearts, anything less is in vain.
- When we draw attention to our bodies, the emotional satisfaction we get isn’t simply harmless, it’s spiritual recklessness and it affects our hearts and souls, and the hearts and souls of men.
- Feeling powerful and in control when we are noticed is actually a perverse security. It instead, reveals the insecurity in us. When we wear skimpy clothing, we devalue and disempower ourselves.
May our bodies be presented as “…a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God…”, and “…not conformed to this world…” Romans 12:1-2
God loves us. We are precious and valuable to Him. We are daughters of the King! And, because we belong to God, He will give us all the reassurance and confidence we need in order to live a powerful and victorious life in and through Him. God’s desire is to make us more like Him and the more we’re like Him, the more beautiful we become. True beauty begins in the heart … a beauty that draws others to God.
What do your clothes reveal about you?
