Ever since doing the feelin’ feminine challenge I found HERE , appearance has been a topic on my mind. I did the challenge and wore skirts and dresses for a week. You can check out how my week in more feminine dress went HERE.
So this topic of appearance has been on my mind. I know there are people out there with the opinion that Appearance is everything. They have to have name brand.They have to be up with the current styles.They just plain have to look perfect all the time. Then you have the opposite.People who will go out in anything.Sweat pants and holey t-shirts , clothes that are too short,too small or too tight. Kids with mismatched, stained, holey clothes or clothes with rude or disrespectful sayings on them. These people tend to be of the opinion that what one dresses/looks like doesn't matter or shouldn't matter.
I have discovered that I fall in the middle of the two extremes. I don’t think appearance is everything. I know I’m not perfect and so don't feel the need to look perfect and I know that most of the current trends are NOT appropriate forms of dress. On the other hand I do believe that the way we look and dress holds some importance. Let me explain.
The scriptures have a lot to say about our appearance and the way we choose to look on the outside.
1 Timothy 2:9 “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel..” We are told to be modest.
Deuteronomy 22:5 “The women shall not wear that which pertained unto a man..” We are also told to dress femininely.
We are also told in the scriptures that we are to be representatives for Christ. Acting in a way that people might feel the love of Christ through our actions. I know from experience that the way we LOOK can either make people more or less receptive to us and our values and what we may have to share.
People look at other people and immediately make some assumptions and judgments. I think this is normal. Not necessarily right, but normal. I know when I see a teenager with purple spiked hair, a skirt up to her fanny and several pieces of metal sticking out of her face that I make some assumptions. I do not think she is an evil,terrible,bad person. But I also don't necessarily think that she knows Christ. I do assume that She may be a bit rebellious or wayward. I always try to be willing to get past those assumptions and get to know the person for who they truly are. But here is the thing. Sometimes we don't get the chance to get to know people past an appearance.Past a first time meeting. If we are going to stand for Christ and share His love people have to be willing to listen.
So if I am in the grocery store with my children and we are having a conversation about going to church tomorrow what are the people looking at me and hearing me in the checkout line going to think? What if I was dressed like that teenager?Would they listen? Would they take me seriously? I’m not sure that they would.
I know that there are as many opinions on this subject as there are shirts in the mall and that's ok. This just happens to be mine.
1 comment:
I know what you mean. Appearance doesn't matter in the sense that we should treat others with respect. But unfortunately we all live in a culture, that means that clothing, hair, and other things perceived with the eye convey meaning and as such, we should look for those that reflect on modest, positive, good traits, at the same time not being very focused on ourselves but presenting ourselves as clean, 'normal', like you say. After all, if we are made after His image we want to give a godly impression not a worldly vain one. (And that's not just appearance, but our use of the language, corporal expression).
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