Dressing Beautifully

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter 3:3 and 4

"These verses do not teach, as some might think, that physical beauty is somehow sinful, or that it is wrong to pay any attention to our outward appearance. That is just as much a deception as the lie that place overemphasis on external beauty.

Nowhere does the Scripture condemn physical beauty or suggest that outward appearance does not matter. What is condemned is taking pride in God-given beauty, giving excessive attention to physical beauty, or tending to physical matters while neglecting matters of the heart."

Nancy Leigh DeMoss is one of my favorite female authors (Elizabeth Elliot is the other favorite!) and in her book, "Lies Women Believe" she talks about how so easy it is for us as women to buy into the lie that says physical beauty matters more than inner beauty. We may say, "Oh! But I don't believe that lie," but how we live determines what we believe. How much time do we spend in front of the mirror to "face the day" in comparison with how much time we spend in God's Word to "face the day?"

Of course in our efforts to squash this lie, some of us can so easily swing to the other side of looking sloppy, poorly groomed, and so unattractive that people don't want to be around us! I appreciate the continued thoughts of Nancy Leigh DeMoss,

"One of Satan's strategies is to get us to move away from one extreme to another. There is a growing aversion in our culture to neatness, orderliness, and attractiveness in dress and physical appearance... Do you know who you are? God made you a women. Accept His gift. Don't be afraid to be feminine and to add physical and spiritual loveliness to the setting where He has placed you. You are a child of God. You are a part of the bride of Christ. You belong to the King--you are royalty. Dress and conduct yourself in a way that reflects your high and holy calling.

"We as Christian women should seek to reflect the beauty, order, excellence, and grace of God through both our outward and inward person."

To read further, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, the book is available here.