Tuesday, October 30, 2018

October 30 Thought for today....dress for God


Halloween, little kids, and big kids dress up from the macabre to the genteel or heroic. I'm not going to get into the Halloween thing here, but is it right to dress up at all? To wear makeup, jewelry, and to adorn yourself with all kinds of things? Here is what the Bible says...

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:3,4, 

Some denominations have taken this to mean, dress plainly and simply. No makeup, no jewelry, no adornment of any kind, it is all vanity. I have seen this in a few Pentecostal Holiness churches and some Russian churches, and it seems somewhat awkward. Is Peter telling us that we should heed this type of thinking?

The word meaning adornment, the root of the word is where we get the word cosmetics. In the Greek and Roman cultures, the women would spend quite a bit of time working on their faces, doing their make-up. The "arranging" of their hair would take hours. If you look at any statues of first-century women, in this region, you will see hair designed with multiple curls on top of curls. The process took hours. Also, it was common for a woman to change clothing numerous times a day, not like going from jeans to a nice dress, but going from high-end dress to high-end dress. Is Peter condemning all the care and time someone would use to make themselves look more becoming for others? No, would be that answer. He is not concerned about hair, make-up, dresses, or jewelry.

So what is he talking about then? He is encouraging all of us, both men and women, to make sure we are spending enough time ensuring our hearts are right, our attitudes are good, and our spirits are healthy. He is saying it is OK to look nice for each other and to be a blessing in that manner, don't allow that to be the main thing. Make sure our beauty is from the inside out. What good does it do to look good on the outside if inside we are cynical, bitter, unforgiving, angry, or spiteful?

It is a blessing and a joy to everyone when people take care of their outward appearance. Someone who is healthy and clean looking can impact the surface of anyone. A healthy, fresh appearance can be a reflection of the condition of the heart. However, if your heart is beautiful, that is a beauty that goes beyond the skin to something that can impact people very profoundly and for eternity! Dress up for God first, even though it is nice to dress up for man. Allow your priority to be for God!

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