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At the Well - Wear What You Believe

Gathering At the Well

Today the discussion At the Well is : What Do You Wear To The Grocery Store?
I can tell right away this is going to be a deep and personal discussion!! Some other discussion starters are :

What am I allowing myself to be influenced by?

Who do I allow to dictate to me what I should be wearing?

How am I representing the God I claim to love and live for?

Do I know the details of how God wants us to live as well as I know the details of what is in fashion?

Am I seeking to become conformed to the image of Christ...or the image that our ever changing society throws in front of our faces?

When my husband and I began dating and I was becoming acquainted with his family, I quickly noticed something different. Both his mother (my now mother in law) and his grandmother (her mother in law) always dressed nicely. Whether it was a trip to the grocery store, a hair appointment or a birthday party, they wore a skirt or dress slacks, nice blouse etc. As a young teenager then, I just could not fathom changing from jeans and a comfortable t shirt to dress nicely to go to basic places! It seemed like a waste to time and energy to me back then! Through the years I began to notice that along with the way they dressed - which was above average - they also carried themselves with above average beauty, dignity and graciousness. They were treated with respect and honor. The adornment on the outside (clothes) was matched by the adornment of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. (I Peter 3:4).

When I began to work as a church secretary, I had to step up a notch in my dressing. Modesty is a must for working around pastors! Skirts and dresses became my daily wardrobe. Many times I would stop at the grocery store in my work clothes or do my routine still in my work clothes. I began to love the freedom and beauty of modest dressing, the feminine feeling of dressing up. God began to create in my heart a desire for modesty. Modesty is an attitude of the heart that is reflected on the outside through clothing and actions. It is not just putting on a dress, it is carrying the attitude that our body is the temple of God a desire for purity to be reflected. Modesty is not a set of rules, but obedience to God's Word that encourages women to adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation... I Timothy 2:9.

We can choose the influences we allow in our hearts. There are the magazines in the check out line, the television etc. that encourage women how to dress for today's times. If women wear the latest trends, they will show ALOT of body. Low jeans, high and tight shirts, short shorts, short skirts, etc., what kind of attention does that attract? It creates in a woman attitudes of pride and haughtiness and encourages men to be drawn to look and lust.
God's Word encourages purity in dress and actions which bring about an inward beauty of holiness and the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God. Who would I rather please?

As a Christian women, we represent God everywhere we go and in everything we do. The world is seeking and watching to see if we are "real". If we live by what we believe. What we believe in the heart shows on the outside in our dress and attitude and is exemplified through everyday life. So...yes, it is important what we wear to the grocery store!!

Some of the most beautiful Scriptures relate to modesty and the blessings God gives. Here are a few of my favorite phrases on this topic with links attached for the entire verse.

Holiness adorns Your house. (Remember, our bodies are His temple.)

The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.

Display behavior that displays holiness.

Adorn yourself with God's beauty

Holiness and purity are paths to God's righteousness and are traveled one step at a time. These are distinctly different paths than what our society presents to us. May we always be conformed and transformed by God's power and wear His grace wherever we go.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1,2


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Comments

  1. Laurie AnnJune 1, 2009 at 11:19 AM

    Choosing the influences we allow in our hearts helps tremendously. I truly enjoyed your post and am spurred on to live as Christ wants, not as the world does. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raye AnnJune 1, 2009 at 11:54 AM

    "Modesty is an attitude of the heart that is reflected on the outside through clothing and actions."

    I found this to be very true in my case. The more I sought after God's own heart the more my dressed changed.
    You can tell by the way a women walks if she is used to feminine clothing or not. I remember watching a women walk into a store like a lumber jack in a beautiful feminine suite. I remember thinking I bet she does not wear that too often. Even though she was dressed in modest apparel her mannerisms did not show modesty.

    Blessings
    Raye Ann

    ReplyDelete
  3. JuneJune 1, 2009 at 3:42 PM

    I enjoyed your comment today. I am
    a clother buff. I have two closets
    full and want more. I guess I am an addick

    ReplyDelete

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