Our passage today makes me feel girly:
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
There you go. Go show your hubby that you need new clothes, because the Bible says it's ok!
I remember watching John Hagee once (I know.. I'm old school..) and he was talking about his wife and her need for decorative pillows on their bed and all the other things us women like to decorate with. Rugs, throws, curtains, candles. We love it all. He jokingly said, "are we going to be giving tours through our bedroom?!" I always thought that was HILARIOUS, because.. that's what I'm married to.
Utilitarian is the word I use to describe Allen's taste in home decor. He'd be happy to have bare walls, bare couches, bright lighting and neutral colors through most of the house. I have tried to shake things up a little lately and he finally budged. We bought rugs in December with some Christmas cash, but deep down it was probably for the sake conserving heat in our room more than anything.
That's just the way women are. We care about what our home looks like. I don't only want to have a clean house, I want a pretty house.
I don't just want clothes that fit. I want clothes that look nice. I want my kids to look nice, too.
The men in our lives may joke and tell us we're just being ridiculous by wanting to spend money on these things that don't really matter; but honestly, I know Allen doesn't mind coming home to a house that looks put together and a wife that took a little time to put an outfit together and brush her hair.
In 8th grade, my parents were in a place where they didn't want me in public school and they weren't sure they could really be home enough to home school me, so I went to a Christian school nearby. It was through a Baptist church and OMG! I had never been in such a rule-happy environment in my life.
Don't paint your nails, don't wear pants, don't do your hair, don't wear high heels, don't wear makeup, don't color you hair, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Is this supposed to represent Jesus or jail time? I can't tell the difference.
There's a scripture in the Old Testament that a lot of this is derived from-
It comes out of verse 5, but I shared the entire passage for context. When I looks for a title to this section of scripture it fell under "Various Laws." Hmmm..? I don't think those apply to me.
And then there's Timothy-
I am not getting into all of that! I have tried for years to grasp where this comes from, because, to me it just doesn't tie in with who God has shown me that He is. Don't misinterpret that. I am not saying it's not inspired, I'm merely pointing out that I do not feel educated enough to teach on it yet. I will say though, nowhere in the Bible can I find a stance for women not wearing pants (umm... what about women's pants?) or makeup. In fact, in the book of Esther, the eligible women in pursuit of the throne underwent 6 months of beauty treatments!
Esther 2:12. So there.
My overall point in all of this is that we need to not feel ashamed for our instinctive nature as women.
Even in this passage the Word is not instructing us to not feel pretty, or to not care about our appearance. This is saying "don't make that your identity." Be known for having a charitable heart and being an overall pleasant person to be around. Of course, we don't want to be vain or flashy! But in avoiding that persona, let's not make excuses to be lazy.
The people around us deserve our best. My kids deserve to grow up in a clean home. When I have daughters, they deserve to have me as an example of a woman who embraces her beauty. My husband deserves to come home to the beautiful woman he married almost 6 years ago. So instead of focusing on being a rule-follower, let's focus on being good listeners. Listen to what Christ is really speaking through His word. Dressing like a man means something a whole lot different in our society, and if we are going to reach the world for Christ, we are going to have to relate to it.
And if you need a little more convincing (and another reference)
Our bodies are a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Think about how specific God's instructions were concerning the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament Exodus 25-26. Think, also, about the grand churches we build today. It's totally ok to look nice!
Just for the sake of one more link!
Lindsay
No comments:
Post a Comment