We've all heard it a hundred times and probably said it too, "It's just inside that matters. God see the heart, so that's all that's important."
Even Christ told the Pharisees, "Now do ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness." (Luke 11:39)
But let me turn this upside down: How many of us wash the inside of the cup and leave the outside filthy? Maybe the inside is the most important, but does that make the outside irrelevant? Would you want to drink from a cup that was spotless inside, but gross on the outside?
I'm afraid this Scripture has been used, especially by women, (myself included) to excuse slovenliness. Instead of taking care of ourselves, we want to lazily follow our comfy, frumpy dressing habits, by insisting that "the inside is what counts."
Just consider the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31: There's no question she was beautiful on the inside, with impeccable character, but she also "dressed in clothing of silk and purple." (v. 22) Does that make her vain?
"Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain..." (v. 30) but, I wonder, how would a "woman who fears the Lord" dress? To honor and please her husband, and her Lord, or bring reproach to Christ with slothful habits? What IS important?
The Inside? The Outside?
The Inside? The Outside?
Next time you're washing dishes,
think on these things, and let me know...
think on these things, and let me know...
There is a time for everything... but the time for frumpy, comfy dressing is definitely not when our hard-working husbands come home to see us, or when company comes over, or when we are at the grocery store! =) ~Rosie~
ReplyDeleteGood post. It is easy to use that as an excuse to neglect the outward appearence. Both inside and outside are both important. I am reminded of what Christ said "Form the abundance of the heart (inside) the mouth (outside) speaketh. We have to know that the outward reflects the inward, and if God, the Holy Spirit, has invaded the inside, why not honor Him with a modest, yet beautiful "adornment"? Candace
ReplyDeleteVery true, Rosie! I constantly try to remind myself to just look in the mirror about half an hour before my husband gets home from work; but old habits die hard. (Think I'll start setting an alarm for 5PM...)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Candace for bringing out a point that I hoped would be raised in the comments:
Our outer conduct reflects the heart. So a slovenly appearance does not reflect piety or holiness, but slothfulness!
I'm afraid so many sisters in Christ have a notion that the frumpier they are---the holier they must be; but that is not a biblically-based assumption. That is nothing but pride, which is no different than vanity.
Great thought. I once heard a sweet young choir director who was admonishing her choir not to worry about what they were wearing say this, "God looks on the heart. If I didn't believe that do you think I would be wearing this?" She pointed to the little bit of a dress that fitted snugly over part of her bust and buttock.
ReplyDeleteIt makes you stop and think, doesn't it?
Wow, Carol! That's incredible that someone would say that so blatantly! And it's sad that most "Christians" seem to adopt that mindset.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager, I can remember my pastor saying, "God looks on the heart, but man looks on the outward appearance, so... ladies, be careful what you wear!!!"
After being raised with only a model of vanity - I choose frumpiness or at least unfeminine-nesss because I thought it was only that or vanity. I remember my shock at seeing a picture of a model who was also a Christian that was a wife and mother and simply a nicely-kept, beautiful woman. i had no idea until then that you could keep yourself up and it NOT be vanity! This stuff has to be modeled for our little girls to 'catch'
ReplyDeleteVery true, Christie! So often we see a problem and swing the pendulum to the other extreme (HMMM, I think you're prompting another post,-again!)There is a fine balance between vanity and frumpy, and I believe that will come when we seek to honor the Lord and our husbands in everything. If we only realized how important our appearance was to our Beloved husbands, I believe we would all strive harder to dress tastefully.
ReplyDeleteMary, this is so true amongst women. I remember growing up, everyday about 30 minutes before my dad would come home, my mom would be in the bathroom refreshing her appearance. I always thought this was so ridiculous...I would tell her, "Mom, it's just Dad!". But, now I see how wise she was in doing this. I think about the saying, that if you prepare yourself more to see your gynocologist than your husband, there is a problem. I'm a single woman, but I pray for my own sanctification sake, I will someday. I love how clearly God uses the relationships closest to you to grow you into the image of His son! Casting off pride and selfishness, and adorning yourself in humility...what a good God we serve!
ReplyDelete