A Woman's Wardrobe - Dinner #52

     Women’s clothing is quite an issue for debate in some circles.  They fight over what women should wear, what they should NOT wear, and what TYPE of apparel is more appropriate for certain kinds of activities than others.  You will not find topics such as dresses vs. pants, or shorts vs. culottes, mentioned in the Bible.  What you WILL find are principles of MODESTY and FEMININITY!  Are you DRESSING LIKE A WOMAN? Are you seeking to be MODEST? Do you have a heart that truly desires to PLEASE THE LORD?  THOSE are the things that Scripture tells us we should be the most concerned about, when it comes to our wardrobe!

     The Bible commands us in Deuteronomy 22:5, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”  Back in Bible times, there was very little distinction between a woman’s outer garment and a man’s, but there WAS a distinction.  A woman knew when she was purchasing women’s clothing, and a man knew when he was purchasing clothing made for a man!  What men and women wear in one country, they may not wear in another country.  What men and women wear today, they may not be wearing 200 years down the road.  But, around the world, and in ALL eras of history, the first question should be, do godly women LOOK LIKE women, or are they dressed too much like men?

     I Timothy 2:9 declares, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel . . .”  With every piece of clothing a woman owns, she needs to ask herself some important questions, before walking out the door.  What does this outfit look like when I bend over or sit down? Can people see the distinct outline of my undergarments?  Is my whole figure entirely too obvious?  If it looks like something from the lingerie section of a department store, then it’s meant for your HUSBAND'S eyes, and no one else's!  Men are made to love what they SEE – they are VISION DRIVEN!  The problem is, when a man sees too much of ANY woman’s flesh, he has to fight the desire to WANT it! Matthew 5:28 tells us, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath commited adultery with her already in his heart.”  Do you want to play a part in causing a brother in Christ to have an ADULTEROUS thought-life?!  I certainly hope not! Romans 14:13 instructs, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”  We, as Christian ladies, don’t need to be JUDGING each other based upon the TYPE of clothes we wear!  We need to be HELPING men to flee temptation by dressing MODESTLY!       

     The disciple Peter wrote about Christian women in one of his epistles, saying, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart . . .” (I Peter 3:3-4)  Does this mean that we should be drab and unattractive? No! Even the “Proverbs 31 Woman” had clothing of “silk and purple” (Proverbs 31:22)! What he is telling us is that we should not allow our clothing and how we look to become our main concern!  God is interested in the condition of our HEARTS! Are we spending countless dollars on fashion and make-up? Do we want men to be drawn to us, sexually, when they see us walking by?  Those things reflect the condition of our hearts! Job 29:14 says, “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.”  If you are exercising righteousness and godly judgment when choosing your apparel, then you will be making the right choices!  You will have a wardrobe that pleases God!