Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Thoughts on 1 Peter 3:3-4

Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

I have always taken this passage to say that our outward appearance should not be our only source of beauty, but rather that Christ in us should be what makes us attractive and appealing. That being said, I am not anti-makeup, etc. I am not at my usual gorgeousness first thing in the morning!

However, I do know godly women who wear no makeup, always wear skirts, and don't let their hair down, all as part of their being "set apart" for the Lord.

The sad reality is that the church looks so much like the world in so many ways, that I do understand the desire to have some outward physical show of the inward sanctification. The flip side is, as Hudson Taylor discovered in China, it can be very difficult to minister to unbelievers if they are distracted by our differences, so why not dress as the general public does (within modest reason, of course).

I am curious to hear what you all think. I know I have a lot of "lurkers" because you send me private emails. Jump in with your comments!

Monday, April 2, 2007

Thoughts on 1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul... 1 Peter 2:11

War: it causes death, scars, injuries, and shows us things that we were never created to see. I picture Peter taking his beloved friends by the shoulders and saying, "Friend, please, stop letting sin rule your life! You are causing immeausurable damage! I beg you!"
We are responsible to tell those we love when they are going against the Word of God. The flip side of that is that they are also responsible to tell us when we are walking in sin!

Another Forehead Slap

Note to self: When singing Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive in the office, complete with microphone, make sure that all the guys have actually gone home for the day. Otherwise your girlfriends with whom you are being silly will have a hard time letting you forget it. Gee, I can't wait for that to come up in the morning meeting.
New office rule: No Disco!