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GUEST
ARTICLE
The
Appearance of a Christian Woman and
Her Reputation
Pamela Spurling
Can you open the door and say "Welcome Home!" to
the LORD? I have some heavy thoughts on my heart...I have
been wanting to write about this for many weeks; I don't
know if it is the presence of spring or the sights I have
been seeing, but I would sure like to share with you something
that is on my heart, and it is the subject of modesty. I
am deeply concerned that what I write today will be taken
to heart and will not cause a "reaction." This
topic doesn't come from any specific place or from any organization
and I have no personal "agenda" in sharing this
with you. I just pray the LORD will use this message to inspire
women to godliness and obedience to the Lord Jesus. I have
committed to the LORD once again to share what He lays on
my heart to share.
A woman who fears the LORD
We have an obligation because of our freedom in Christ to
honor the Lord Jesus and our brothers in the LORD by our
dress and by our behavior. For many years I was totally unaware
of how my dress and behavior affected others. I was indifferent
to the fact that I was, by the clothing I was wearing, causing
a brother to stumble. It would be many years into my Christian
walk before I realized I had an obligation to the LORD to
avoid the appearance of evil, that I had a responsibility
to protect the gift that I am to my husband and the duty
to my brothers in the LORD to not be a stumbling block. Evil,
you say? Yes... if I disregard my behavior and am careless
about the message of the cross, I see this as evil. How frequently
and easily we apply this to "drinking" and how
acceptable it is for a Christian to not "drink" so
as not to cause a brother to stumble, but how seldom this
is applied to the area of modest dress.
I believe the LORD has called me to minister to women and
to share the 'hard things' and I am willing to be scoffed
at for the sake of the LORD. I am aware that whenever this
subject comes up, there will be accusation of legalism or
of "bondage." I am perfectly comfortable hearing
these allegations because I probably at one time rejected
these truths or thought the same thing until I began to understand
the difference between legalism and obedience. When a woman
is in the bonds of legalism, she depends on behaviors or
thoughts and the performing of these duties as necessary
to keeping or obtaining salvation. So then, fundamentally,
legalism becomes a religion unto itself.
So where does obedience to the Word differ from legalism
in behavior and thought? In the last several years I have
thought on this question perhaps thousands of times... wondering
what in this world should a woman wear, how should a woman
behave, where should a woman spend her time, how should a
woman go about loving her husband and how should she live
pleasing the LORD? So... here goes: It matters what a Christian
woman looks like. It matters what she wears and doesn't wear.
She is a representative of the LORD. She is an "advertisement," if
you will, for the LORD. I recently shared with you how important
it is for the reputation of the LORD and other Christian
women how one looks to the "watching world." I
am not referring to the physical appearance of a woman's
body, whether she is tall, short, thin, large, small, etc.,
etc.; but her appearance: When a Christian woman is out to
shop or to run errands, it does matter what she looks like.
It matters what statement she is making about the LORD and
about the reputation of her sisters in the LORD.
Today, I am not simply referring to the appearance of neatness
or cleanliness, but I am concerned about another area, and
that is the area of modesty. Modesty is about as foreign
to some as living in a mansion or in a hut or fluently speaking
a foreign language. What is modesty... and what does the
Word say about modesty? Not the world, but the Word. 1Timothy
2:9 says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves
in modest apparel..." Why is it important for a Christian
woman to dress modestly? How modest is modest? Well, I have
been mulling over this question for years... How low is too
low and how high is too high... and what does it matter anyway?
I used to think a one piece bathing suit was a modest thing
to wear to the beach. I used to think that jeans were fine.
I used to think that short skirts and strapless evening dresses
were fine... until I began to ask the question: is this attire
appropriate to the LORD? I began to ask myself what I would
think were I to open the door and see the LORD standing on
my porch... would it be pleasing to Him? Would it bring glory
or shame to His Name?
There are numerous books written on style, glamour, color
charts, appearance and fashion. Everywhere we go, the world
is dictating how we should dress---how we should look. Just
today, a news article was commenting on the newest hairstyle
trend being made popular by an actress in a movie. We often
blindly follow the trends, consulting the magazines rather
than consulting the Word. Many have written articles on the
meanings of the verses in 1 Timothy and in 1 Peter 3 regarding
the dress of a woman. Sadly, these articles rarely appear
in "mainstream" Christian magazines and so to many
Christian women, the discussion of modest dress either never
comes up or it is rejected as under the category of legalism
or fundamentalism. After reading these and other verses in
the Bible, what would you say? Studying the meanings of the
different words rendered "apparel," would you say
that modest dress is for legalists? I don't think you would,
in fact, I believe a careful study of the Scriptures necessitates
a trip to the closet and a "weeding out" of inappropriate
clothing.
Maybe you are thinking right now that you already do dress
modestly but perhaps there are a few things that may attract
attention to you in a way that is not appropriate. I share
this with you all today, because I cannot recall a time I
ever had instruction from the pulpit or from a Sunday School
teacher in appropriate or inappropriate dress. I did not
know that it was even something I ought to be concerned with.
However, the more I read the Word, and the more I prayed
to be a godly woman, the more I realized that my appearance
really did matter and I began the journey to appropriate,
modest dress. I am still studying to understand what it means
to dress in modest apparel---apparel that does not cause
a brother to stumble. I probably told you about a time ten
years ago where I sat watching women and men watching women.
I was amazed that the women in tight or low or short clothing
were completely unaware of the distraction they were to some
of the men. I was (in this "Christian" setting)
further aware of the women who *did* know that the
men were watching and the subtle entertainment and deception
that was taking place...
Entertaining to both the man and the woman and deceptive
because of the emotions that were being stirred that were
inappropriate and could or would not ever be rightly fulfilled.
It was an occasion to entertain lust of the eyes and the
pride of life. No matter what the world says about fantasy
and entertainment... it is wrong. Does this matter? Yes,
it matters. You might say something like, "well, I am
not like that..." You are probably not like that...
and then again, it is flattering to be found attractive by
a man. You might say you no longer have an attractive figure
or appearance... I think you'd be surprised at the different
things men find attractive. Good men, married men, dedicated
men.... You might say, "those men should learn to control
themselves!" I'd reply, you're right and jokingly say
that that would be like telling them to stop breathing. You
might laugh a little, but I would exhort you to pray and
ask the LORD what He would have you to do regarding this
subject of dress and appropriate clothing for the godly woman
and then to talk candidly with your husband about men and
what they see and what they think, how easily their thoughts
are tantalized by the sights they see.
You may feel like you have dressed in a certain way for
so long that you wouldn't be able to change now. Or, you
may feel like you *like* the way you dress and it's too bad
what others think. Would you be open to the LORD
and His promptings? I do join you in praying for what is
best and seeking what is or isn't appropriate. I would just
say in closing, that it really does matter what you wear
and how you represent the very God we serve. He has given
us all we need in the Word for instruction as to what we
ought to wear and how we ought to appear.
2Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
pamela spurling ~ The Welcome Home ~ 2000-2001
http://www.achristianhome.org/WelcomehomeMessages/
The%20Appearance%20of%20a%20Christian%20Woman.htm
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