I was reading this article on the crosswalk website called "Are you High Maintenance?" by Tammy Bennett. I found it to be very interesting and a good article about Christian women today. Do we put to much into our appearances that it distracts people from getting to know the Christ-like person that we should be? Do we care to much about what people are going to say or think about what we wear or look like, instead of caring about what we say or do?
I am a fashion guru, if you will, as many of you all know. I believe it is important to keep up your appearance. I always say, "God gave me this body and this is the only one I have, so I will preserve it and maintain it. My body is my temple for the Lord to dwell in, so why should I let it run down?" I have to watch what I eat, maintain my face , skin and be mindful of what I wear. It also shows people what type of woman you are, when you present yourself in a groomed, modest and well-dressed manner. Everyone loves to look at a beautiful, well put together woman.
I believe your appearance should never be a distraction but a way for people to be attracted to you and what you are all about. No one likes to talk to someone who is stuck on themselves or who looks homely and trashy. That might sound harsh, but it is true! When Joshua, In Zechariah 3:1-5, was standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing on his right side accusing him, the Lord rebuked Satan. The passage goes on to say: verse 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. Verse 4 And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment. Verse 5 And I said, Let them set a fair turban on his head. So they set a fair turban on his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. (New King James Version)
This passage shows us that the Lord dressed up his prophet in front of his enemy; displaying how wonderful his servant was on the inside and out. True beauty is from within but no one would get to know that if you look like a materialistic queen or a hot mess.
In the article, "Are You High Maintenance" it explains the story of Esther and how she had to undergo an extreme makeover to look like a Queen:
"Esther was the original Queen of High Maintenance. An orphaned Jewish woman, she was one of those selected to go to the palace of King Xerxes of Persia and be groomed as [a] potential queen. For 12 months, Esther was given the prescribed royal beauty treatment for all of the queen hopefuls. At the end of the beauty regimen, she was brought before the king, who favored her and made her his new queen. "
The article goes on to explain if Esther had not had that make over and been apart of that "world", the Lord would not have been able to use her to save His people from genocide. With that said, is your appearance everything? I believe so, in some cases. Me, being in fashion, I never go outside looking frumpy because I never know who the Lord will allow me to meet. In the fashion world, you must carry yourself in a presentable manner. Now, I don't go out with a "too hot of TV" look. As a Christian, modestly must come first. I am learning all these things in my walk; and slowly but surely I am making changes in my wardrobe. I don't want people paying attention to my body and not me as a person. I am a Christian first, before my profession and social life. I would hope many of you believe the same thing. Remember. if you are telling people that you are a Christian, believe me they are looking not only at what you do but also at the way you dress. I am not saying to put all your energy in your appearance but be mindful of the fact that how your look can affect others.
So my advice to my sisters is this: Maintain your looks, treat yourself to something nice every now and then, but do not let it be a distraction or keep you from being a light to others.
For the full article of " Are You High Maintenance" click here
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