I know this is something that's talked about a lot between/to Christian girls. I know when I was younger, I thought like makeup was evil. Like, "*gasp* OH MY GOSH THEY'RE WEARING MAKEUP!!!" That's when I was younger.
Now, I don't think makeup's bad. I think it can be really good and enhance your features. Sometimes you might just want to look a little nicer--like for church or a special presentation or something. Is that bad? No. I think that what's really happened is that we haven't realized our motives for wearing makeup.
If somebody's wearing it for like wrong reasons--like if makeup's an idol for them--then that's not good. (And I personally don't like a lot of makeup. But that's just personal preference.) But it's not bad to enhance your features and look your best for something. I think that if makeup is as stumbling block for somebody, they need to go to God with that.
A lot of Christians would to the verses in 1 Timothy where they talk about it how your beauty shouldn't be external but internal.
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. ~1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV)Or in 1 Peter.
Your adornment must not be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses. ~1 Peter 3:3 (NASB)Well, first off, it doesn't even mention makeup... and even if it did, does that mean that we can't ever braid our hair? I know a lot of Christian girls who wear braids. And dresses? Do we have to wear jeans to church? Or gold jewelry. We can't wear gold crosses? Or anything gold?
These scriptures aren't saying that you can't ever wear dresses or wear jewelry or braids or makeup; it's saying that your beauty shouldn't come from that. It's fine to look nice, to look pretty. But you want your beauty to come from a beautiful heart in tune with God. That's where the real beauty comes from.
If makeup still bothers you, you might decide never to wear it. And it's not bad not to wear makeup, either! It's a personal choice, one that should be made by you and your parents with the guidance of God.
Have a lovely day. :) God bless. :)
Be a hero,
Anna
P.S. I'm hoping to show that coffee cup soon, and some other pictures and an update on some exciting new things... :)
I totally agree with this! I am not old enough to wear makeup, but sometimes my mom puts some on me for a really special occasion. I think that you should use makeup to enhance your features that God gave you, but you shouldn't cake yourself with it. That is a really good post! I enjoyed every second of reading it :)
ReplyDelete- Aimee :)
ReplyDeleteAnna,
Your post was a good balance of grace and truth. Just like any other good thing, it is a double edged sword- if you use the blessing (in this case, makeup) correctly in a way pleasing to the Lord, it will be a blessing for you and others.. otherwise, it won't please the Lord and we better not even have touched it.
First the positive side of makeup & Gold in the Bible:
a)
In the Bible, we see Esther the queen put on makeup and beauty treatments for 6 months and God approved it. (it was God's plan and destinty for her- makeup was part of God's plan for her. That is one place in Bible you see reference of makeup!)
b)
Also in New Testament, it talks about 'gold ring' in book of James. If NT did not allow gold, James would have written clearly. You can read in James chapter 2 verse 2.
c)
But it is God's who likes to make us beautiful and give us ornaments: read Ezekiel 16:11, Isaiah 49:18. Would you like Jesus to be your makeup artist?!?
Now the danger of makeup/gold if we don't do it in a way pleasing to God:
Below are references in Bible where God condemned wearing of gold.. it is because people were not walking intimacy wtih God and makeup/gold/faithfulness was part of it.
a)
One is when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with 10 commandments, and God told to melt the Gold to teach a lesson.
Other place is when God told all women to remove their earings in few times.. Genesis 35:4, Exodus 32:2; Exodus 33:5
If we do makeup in a flesh-pleasing way, (not loyal to God and loving world more than God) God condemns it in Jeremiah 4:30, Hosea 2:13.
But thanks for this awesome post! It was amazing :) (oh and sorry for making this 'comment' a post)
You're welcome! :) Thanks:) That's alright--I love hearing your thoughts! :)
DeleteI totally agree! I personally wear makeup when I go to church or go out for a special occasion. I don't overdue it or anything but I think it really does help "enhance our features" I don't think there's a problem with trying to look our best as long as we aren't more focused on what we look on the outside instead of on the inside =)
ReplyDeleteI agree completely! I don't wear makeup yet, but the times that I have, I just put a little on to "enhance" my "naturaly beauty". It's silly when girls coat their faces in makeup (honestly, some girls look like monsters with all that eyeliner), but I don't have any problem with a little makeup. I have a friend with blonde eyelashes and acne, and she looks lovely with her makeup!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, those verses don't mean we can't dress up and try to look pretty, but that we need to not be focused on that as our beauty.
Lovely post!
Christina
Beautifully said! I couldn't have said that half as good. :) I totally agree with you. I personally don't wear makeup except for special occasions and then I do it lightly for a natural look.
ReplyDeleteKatie:)
Thank you so much! :) Oh goodness, if I had to say this, I think I would've totally butchered it. =P (How I loving writing things down...)
DeleteWell said! And no, makeup is NOT bad!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claire!! :)
DeleteGreat post! I completely agree with you. Makeup, as with all things, can become an idol. So, if that's what it is to us, we have to put God first- for He is what should always come first. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michaela:)
DeleteI think some of the problem is some peoples' definition of beauty not being the same as the biblical definition of beauty.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :) I personally love to dress up and put on make up (not a lot, 'cause I'm not old enough for that! :)). :)
Yeah....
DeleteThanks:)
I wouldn`t say it`s bad, but I defiantly don`t think you should wear it to where you have so much eyeliner on, you can`t see what color your eyes are, or your makeup is just caked on, layer , after, layer, after layer. I do not think it is a "sin", but there have to be boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI agree. After awhile, it just doesn't look good....
Delete