This one is for the ladies...
So I just spent the last several minutes washing my hair and am currently sitting in a shower cap with conditioner in to moisturize my hair. The thought crossed my mind how discontent we are with what God blessed us with naturally. This is not a new thought just one that I began to ponder and wanted to share. Stick with it 'til the end, I'm not condemning us just thinking...
We don't like our natural hair so we straighten it, dye it, curl it, crimp it, cut it, braid it, wear weave... Anything but just keep it clean.
We don't like our skin so we use make up, shave, pluck, peal, wax, moisturize, blot, tan, bleach... Anything but just keep it clean.
We don't like our bodies so we use expensive clothing, gaudy accessories, impractical shoes, excessive diets, excessive workout regiments, surgery... Anything but just keep ourselves covered and be healthy.
We don't like our smell so we use scented any and everything to cover up natural occurring odors... Anything but just be natural.
Then we project our issues onto other people. So in other words, "If I have to take the time to do my hair, and use resources to keep my skin looking young, and spend money to make my body look good, and cover my scent everyday... You need to do it too."
We see people that have hair that looks unkempt a certain kind of way even though if we are all honest, God quite genuinely probably doesn't care that someone's hair is natural. We see women that put forth no effort and women that put forth too much effort and judge them based on how they look. Even knowing that God only cares about their heart. We see people wearing outdated or ill fitting clothing and judge them even though they could just as quickly judge us for unwisely spending money on another new outfit that we don't need. We avoid and make fun of people that have a musky odor not knowing whether they have a medical condition (how do you think John the Baptist may have smelled?).
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
1 Corinthians 13:16,17
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Not to make anyone feel guilty about wanting to look nice and smell nice, because most of us do, but just be careful about your time, energy, resources, and attitude. I want to encourage us all to watch what we put our focus and thoughts in because it shouldn't be on anything material. We live in the world but we are not of the world.
God's Love,
Camille
PS According to this website http://www.worldwatch.org/node/764 (not sure how reputable it is) between Europe and the USA we spend $12 billion annually on perfume. Also in the US alone we spend $8 billion annually on cosmetics. Can you imagine if we put that money towards helping others how many people we'd help!?!
So I just spent the last several minutes washing my hair and am currently sitting in a shower cap with conditioner in to moisturize my hair. The thought crossed my mind how discontent we are with what God blessed us with naturally. This is not a new thought just one that I began to ponder and wanted to share. Stick with it 'til the end, I'm not condemning us just thinking...
We don't like our natural hair so we straighten it, dye it, curl it, crimp it, cut it, braid it, wear weave... Anything but just keep it clean.
We don't like our skin so we use make up, shave, pluck, peal, wax, moisturize, blot, tan, bleach... Anything but just keep it clean.
We don't like our bodies so we use expensive clothing, gaudy accessories, impractical shoes, excessive diets, excessive workout regiments, surgery... Anything but just keep ourselves covered and be healthy.
We don't like our smell so we use scented any and everything to cover up natural occurring odors... Anything but just be natural.
Then we project our issues onto other people. So in other words, "If I have to take the time to do my hair, and use resources to keep my skin looking young, and spend money to make my body look good, and cover my scent everyday... You need to do it too."
We see people that have hair that looks unkempt a certain kind of way even though if we are all honest, God quite genuinely probably doesn't care that someone's hair is natural. We see women that put forth no effort and women that put forth too much effort and judge them based on how they look. Even knowing that God only cares about their heart. We see people wearing outdated or ill fitting clothing and judge them even though they could just as quickly judge us for unwisely spending money on another new outfit that we don't need. We avoid and make fun of people that have a musky odor not knowing whether they have a medical condition (how do you think John the Baptist may have smelled?).
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
1 Corinthians 13:16,17
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Not to make anyone feel guilty about wanting to look nice and smell nice, because most of us do, but just be careful about your time, energy, resources, and attitude. I want to encourage us all to watch what we put our focus and thoughts in because it shouldn't be on anything material. We live in the world but we are not of the world.
God's Love,
Camille
PS According to this website http://www.worldwatch.org/node/764 (not sure how reputable it is) between Europe and the USA we spend $12 billion annually on perfume. Also in the US alone we spend $8 billion annually on cosmetics. Can you imagine if we put that money towards helping others how many people we'd help!?!
Daren Brake preached in Bishop's absence. He spoke of the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus. Her pouring out of
ReplyDeletethe expensive ointment upon her Lord's feet, said he, represented her total surrender...no longer caring to entice men with her scent...no longer seeking to also cover the stench of her customers... no longer masking her sinful past with fragrance...no longer concerned with trying to impress anyone...simple selfless giving up ALLL, and leaving ALLL at the feet of THE ONLY ONE who truly loved her. I really believe that God has us, His children, praying that all of us, give our selves up and away. Submitting to the crucifying of self-consciousness, self-esteem, self-awareness, self-defense, self-sufficiency, self-protection...You know, laying down all of our, "SELFS," will allow us to: ESTEEM our Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and others. I am daily convinced of the importance of obeying Jesus' command to DENY SELF...and allow Him to recreate me, not within the limits of my self-image, but in HIS Image. OH TO BE THERE! Oh to be as I was created to be--WE SHALL MAKE MANKIND IN OUR IMAGE...OH, to cease acceptance of the world's lie, developing a so-called____self imsge___. jus'sayin'(LOL) THANK YOU for your thoughts on, for girls only.
Amen! Thanks for sharing 😊
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