This video really hit home for me. It reminded me of the bubble we in the west especially live in. I don’t even think I know the cultural depths, that the importance of appearance & what one has to attribute to that appearance runs. It has always bothered me. It is true that God does look at the heart and judges it within. Why is so difficult for us?
Satan has done a very good job in keeping Christians in the west pre-occupied with appearance. I believe that we need to take care of ourselves and present ourselves well, but to what extent? If our life mission is to see His Kingdom come we should be pouring our resources into that -not us. Sacrifice is required. It’s so easy to become us-focused.
More to the women out there.......
The amount we, as women spend on hair, nails, tanning, spa treatments, new clothes, shoes and accessories is more than likely a great deal more than what the average Christian woman tithes. Or gives to the poor, or gives to supporting indigenous missionaries in other countries. We have forgotten that the true thing that sets us apart is supposed to be our willingness to give up ourselves, our pride in our appearance and replace that with true reliance on our King.
In 1 Peter 3:1-6 it says, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For in this way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. “
Wow, what an anti-cultural message. I can just see people cringing.
First of all, be submissive? What? Calling your husband a master? That sounds so derogatory, how will I get respect if I submit? What if my husband walks all over me? Phil 2:5, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who.......made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death –even death on a cross!” Yes, not being a doormat, but healthy submission is Christlike. After all, our goal is to be more like Christ, right? Not more respected or being a right-fighter. As women, we often forget our true identity lies in Christ.
Secondly, I have heard that as long as women don’t rely on the “braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes” but still wear them anyways with that awareness it’s ok. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with getting a fashionable haircut or earrings or clothes that don’t have holes in them is wrong. My point is that when the money we spend and the time we spend obtaining these things superceeds the time we spend devoting ourselves to the work of Christ, to time in prayer, to volunteering, to pouring ourselves out for His causes than there’s a problem. When we justify spending obscene amount of money on clothing yet hundreds of thousands are starving from famine as is the case right now in the African Horn countries right now I have a problem with that. And I think if you look at how Jesus asks us to live our lives He does to. I think we believe the lie that the $100 or the $50 won’t make a difference but it does. We also believe the lie that we can’t feel free to share our faith if we don’t look a certain way. We have forgotten about reliance on the Holy Spirit. As ambassadors of Christ our job is to point people to Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit and we don’t need to be looking our best to do that.
The next bit of this passage is one I have a problem with. Those of you who know me will know that I am neither quiet or gentle. I have struggled with this for a long time and I have come to accept that Christ has not made me that way for a reason. I think that this gentle and quiet spirit that this passage talks about is again being able to emulate the attitude of Christ. To be in consistant prayer and in the habit of spending good, regular time with Jesus. From this I discover I am not so harsh, judging and my words are more constructive, not destructive. I am more loving and relational to people; I don’t take offense so easily, my walls don’t go up as fast, I am more quick to forgive. I am more open to the promptings of the Spirit. Please bear in mind that reading this that I have not done any studies or the like on this passage, it’s simply the conclusion I have come to based on my time with my maker. I could, and probably am, missing out on things.
So, an offensive blog? Probably to some. I find that if I offend no one I am usually off the mark in what I have written.
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| Sarah & Abraham |
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