Lilly left home on the cover for church rehearsals. She crossed to other side of her street, bent over the fence overlooking the back door of a house and changed her cloths. She headed for the farthest club. She just wanted to be away from the don't s. Have some fun. Meet some friends and be free, she taught.
A guy approached her while she was sitting. "Young lady", he called. Just an hour? he added. He brought out some dirty notes. He was drunk. Lilly got up angrily, feeling insulted, she shouted on him saying, “Am not a prostitute?” The man staggered. He turned to look her clearly and said, “I owe you no apology, the last time I checked, you were dressed like one“.
Lilly is an average and the common girl looking for freedom where it does not exist.
Are you a teenage girl, they call you church girl but you feel like showing some skin. You find people complimenting you when you show some skin. They say, “You look hot, girl you look sexy”. Watch the tone you say, but inward, you like to return and get a dozen of such clothing’s.
Why do you feel so pressured as a girl to show some skin? We want to be treated elegantly, but we act otherwise. Why do I feel punished when I am told my skirt is too short or top clinging? Why do I feel boxed in the church rules of “Don’t”. Is there anything wrong showing some skin or letting the world see the so called “endowment”? Why must Christian dress differently? Purchase magazine teaches us to dress to keep up sales. Make-up advertising agencies tell us to get one item and be young forever.
Because we want to fit in with some friends, we go all the way to do what everyone does. That voice says, “Show some skin, and if you’ve got it flaunt it? But we want to keep in faith and we find that inner voice telling us to do otherwise. Is Christianity a yoke? Where is the freedom or liberty Christians preach, you say? What do we believe in the event of modern dressing? Has the standard of Christ change? The question is “Must you dress bad, to look beautiful?”
I used to feel boxed as well until the word set me free. I found out that I could dress beautifully, attract compliments and still remain best as a good girl. The question is how?
1. Define the truths: Take a look at the mirror and see yourself in the image of God ―God’s word is our true mirror. Any compliment outside the word is only a mirage. Counter foolish wisdom that quest for perfect body with the God’s truth. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Do you know very well that every part of your body is perfect? You don’t need extra butts, breast, wider lips, and stronger lashes to be beautiful. Everything about you is perfect because God says so. Let no girlfriend or bully tell you something contrary to Gods word. They are serpents question the reality of God in your life. Accepting a mirage is telling God, His work is imperfect, that He couldn’t have been the creator. You can be a size 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, as long as you keep healthy; you are perfectly in God’s shape.
2. Separate truth from fact. The girlish syndrome wants to look good and crave for compliment. We love hot looking shoes, even though, half the time, our ankle aches. There is that part in every woman that pants after the girlish syndrome but the bible encourages us to be “self-controlled and to be led by the Spirit”. The truth only lies in your choice. We do have a choice in our fashion statement. You could give yourself the look of business tycoon, a slot, a village headmistress, a skunk. The last choice lies in our mind. Proverbs 22: 5b tells us a virtuous woman is clothed in fine linen and purple “royalty”. Proverbs 22: 25a says she is clothed with strength and dignity. Prov. 7:10 describes a strange woman, “Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.” There is a dressing for prostitute, don’t cut in fashion. Everything comes with a history. For example, wearing chain on the ankle was a sign to differentiate prostitute but this have perpetrated modern dressing. Wearing earrings for men started in the slave trade to differentiate slaves who have been freed and those who weren’t. So is sagging of trousers, and many more. Your faith comes with responsibility and it’s ours to reflect God in our nature. Faith colours our clothing choices. So choose.
3. Secondly, the nature of self ―we like to do everything against the norm; that human nature that is in enmity against God”. Gen 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” As ladies, we know to dress is good, we also know that it is the gateway to receiving compliment. But any form of dresses that makes one naked and in disobedience against God is only leading us down the part of destruction. I have heard young girls raped for reason not quantifiable and justifiable but pertaining to dressing. Gen3:7, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Roms 8:13, “ For if you live after the flesh [the sinful nature], you will die; but if through the Spirit you mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, you will live”. Col 3:5, “Therefore mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body which are of the earthly life; fornication, impurity, inordinate affections, evil lusts of the flesh, and covetousness, which is idolatry”. Eph 4:22, “Strip yourselves of your former nature that controlled your conduct, which corrupts itself through lusts and desires that spring from delusion.” Roms 8:13, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. “ To be led by the Spirit of God is to hear and obey his word from within your heart prompting you with thoughts, words, and deeds.
4. Learn about your body type: Shari Braendel in her book “Good girls don’t have to dress bad” teaches about four body types and how to enhance dressing with our body type. Recommended for both the clueless and the fashion-savvy.
• Figuring out your body type
• How the right hair color will bring out your best natural features
• How your clothes can go far with gorgeous accessories
• Investing in correct underwear
• Minimizing the pains of swimsuit shopping
• Basic makeup application
• Searching for that flattering pair of jeans
Author Shari Braendel deals with deeper issues that women typically associate with beauty.
• Some of us believe that there is one body type that is considered more attractive than the others
• Some of us feel like they have to spend so much on clothing that we give up looking nice altogether
• Some of us associate modesty with boring and outdated
• Some of us have a hard time grasping the idea of being "fearfully and wonderfully made"
• Some of us just have no clue how deal with all this looking good stuff
• Some of us feel defeated as we compare ourselves to other women
A guy approached her while she was sitting. "Young lady", he called. Just an hour? he added. He brought out some dirty notes. He was drunk. Lilly got up angrily, feeling insulted, she shouted on him saying, “Am not a prostitute?” The man staggered. He turned to look her clearly and said, “I owe you no apology, the last time I checked, you were dressed like one“.
Lilly is an average and the common girl looking for freedom where it does not exist.
Are you a teenage girl, they call you church girl but you feel like showing some skin. You find people complimenting you when you show some skin. They say, “You look hot, girl you look sexy”. Watch the tone you say, but inward, you like to return and get a dozen of such clothing’s.
Why do you feel so pressured as a girl to show some skin? We want to be treated elegantly, but we act otherwise. Why do I feel punished when I am told my skirt is too short or top clinging? Why do I feel boxed in the church rules of “Don’t”. Is there anything wrong showing some skin or letting the world see the so called “endowment”? Why must Christian dress differently? Purchase magazine teaches us to dress to keep up sales. Make-up advertising agencies tell us to get one item and be young forever.
Because we want to fit in with some friends, we go all the way to do what everyone does. That voice says, “Show some skin, and if you’ve got it flaunt it? But we want to keep in faith and we find that inner voice telling us to do otherwise. Is Christianity a yoke? Where is the freedom or liberty Christians preach, you say? What do we believe in the event of modern dressing? Has the standard of Christ change? The question is “Must you dress bad, to look beautiful?”
I used to feel boxed as well until the word set me free. I found out that I could dress beautifully, attract compliments and still remain best as a good girl. The question is how?
1. Define the truths: Take a look at the mirror and see yourself in the image of God ―God’s word is our true mirror. Any compliment outside the word is only a mirage. Counter foolish wisdom that quest for perfect body with the God’s truth. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Do you know very well that every part of your body is perfect? You don’t need extra butts, breast, wider lips, and stronger lashes to be beautiful. Everything about you is perfect because God says so. Let no girlfriend or bully tell you something contrary to Gods word. They are serpents question the reality of God in your life. Accepting a mirage is telling God, His work is imperfect, that He couldn’t have been the creator. You can be a size 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, as long as you keep healthy; you are perfectly in God’s shape.
2. Separate truth from fact. The girlish syndrome wants to look good and crave for compliment. We love hot looking shoes, even though, half the time, our ankle aches. There is that part in every woman that pants after the girlish syndrome but the bible encourages us to be “self-controlled and to be led by the Spirit”. The truth only lies in your choice. We do have a choice in our fashion statement. You could give yourself the look of business tycoon, a slot, a village headmistress, a skunk. The last choice lies in our mind. Proverbs 22: 5b tells us a virtuous woman is clothed in fine linen and purple “royalty”. Proverbs 22: 25a says she is clothed with strength and dignity. Prov. 7:10 describes a strange woman, “Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.” There is a dressing for prostitute, don’t cut in fashion. Everything comes with a history. For example, wearing chain on the ankle was a sign to differentiate prostitute but this have perpetrated modern dressing. Wearing earrings for men started in the slave trade to differentiate slaves who have been freed and those who weren’t. So is sagging of trousers, and many more. Your faith comes with responsibility and it’s ours to reflect God in our nature. Faith colours our clothing choices. So choose.
3. Secondly, the nature of self ―we like to do everything against the norm; that human nature that is in enmity against God”. Gen 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” As ladies, we know to dress is good, we also know that it is the gateway to receiving compliment. But any form of dresses that makes one naked and in disobedience against God is only leading us down the part of destruction. I have heard young girls raped for reason not quantifiable and justifiable but pertaining to dressing. Gen3:7, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Roms 8:13, “ For if you live after the flesh [the sinful nature], you will die; but if through the Spirit you mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, you will live”. Col 3:5, “Therefore mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body which are of the earthly life; fornication, impurity, inordinate affections, evil lusts of the flesh, and covetousness, which is idolatry”. Eph 4:22, “Strip yourselves of your former nature that controlled your conduct, which corrupts itself through lusts and desires that spring from delusion.” Roms 8:13, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. “ To be led by the Spirit of God is to hear and obey his word from within your heart prompting you with thoughts, words, and deeds.
4. Learn about your body type: Shari Braendel in her book “Good girls don’t have to dress bad” teaches about four body types and how to enhance dressing with our body type. Recommended for both the clueless and the fashion-savvy.
• Figuring out your body type
• How the right hair color will bring out your best natural features
• How your clothes can go far with gorgeous accessories
• Investing in correct underwear
• Minimizing the pains of swimsuit shopping
• Basic makeup application
• Searching for that flattering pair of jeans
Author Shari Braendel deals with deeper issues that women typically associate with beauty.
• Some of us believe that there is one body type that is considered more attractive than the others
• Some of us feel like they have to spend so much on clothing that we give up looking nice altogether
• Some of us associate modesty with boring and outdated
• Some of us have a hard time grasping the idea of being "fearfully and wonderfully made"
• Some of us just have no clue how deal with all this looking good stuff
• Some of us feel defeated as we compare ourselves to other women
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