A few months ago, I was looking in the mirror and putting eyeshadow on. I had turned the radio on, and while I was applying my make-up, a song came on that I had heard a million times. It was Until the Whole World Hears by Casting Crowns. I wasn't really paying attention to it; I was more intent on making myself look beautiful. Suddenly, I stopped. I looked away from the mirror, then back at myself. Christians are to be the salt of the earth. I was struck by this as the lyrics of the song rang in my ears. I am to be a living testimony to the greatness of Jehovah Mekoddishkem, the Lord who sanctifies me. I am to show His glory, and to bring honor to His Name. Yet, right now, I was spending precious time making myself beautiful. In my heart, I was wanting to bring glory to my name, and to bring forth praise from others'. This thing that I was doing was not for His glory. It was for mine.
Sadly, I forgot about this incident soon after it happened. Or, when I did remember it, I brushed it off as a notion that didn't have any true significance. I was bringing out the beauty that God had given me, and making myself beautiful so that I would show that HE is beautiful! Or was I? Just yesterday, I was reading through some articles. One was on cosmetics. The author's premise was that make-up does not bring glory to God, but that rather, it is wrong to wear it. After thinking it through, I don't totally agree with this young woman. God has given us means with which to bring out our natural beauty. He created beauty. He made everything beautiful. He loves beauty. He Himself is beautiful. So it is not wrong to use the means He has given us to bring out our beauty. But there is something wrong with the way we do it.
I do not wear much make-up. I merely put on light eye-liner and a bit of eyeshadow, in order to bring out my eyes. But when I put it on, I give no thought to bringing glory to God's Name. Instead, I am focusing on how I can make myself most attractive. I want my friends to see my beauty, and love me for it. I want young men to think that I am beautiful. I do not want to be plain. I want to be noticed. That is why I wear make-up.
THAT is what is wrong with make-up. I am sinning when I put it on, not because I am putting it on, but because of what I am doing in my heart. So I would like you to ask yourself today, Why do I put on make-up? What are my motives in doing so? Examine your heart, hold it up to the Scriptures, and ask the Lord to show you whether it is at fault.
For me, right now, I have decided to stop wearing make-up, at least for the time being. When I decided to do this, I felt a panic rising in my chest. What would people think of me? No one would notice me, no one would love me! I would be nothing exceptional, nothing beautiful! I would be... myself. The girl God made me to be. This is proof of the position of my heart. Right now, make-up is one of my idols. I feel that I need it. I am not content with what the Lord has made me to look like, and thus I want to make myself more beautiful in the eyes of the world. That is just plain wrong.
I am resting in His mercy, because this is an impossible task on my own. I pray that you will do the same.
~Lucy~
6 comments:
Wow. I never thought about make-up that way. Very convicting...
I love this. I have been thinking about this lately too...
God created us in His image! We are beautiful and our bodies are His temple! I agree with you- it's not wrong to wear makeup. It's what is going on in your heart. When I wear makeup, I don't cake it on- usually, I only wear a little bit of powder, mascara,and sometimes a teeny bit of blush. Today, I didn't wear makeup because I didn't have time to put it on- and I was OK with it! I have learned to embrace who Christ has created me to be. So, I'm with you sister- I'm not going to never wear makeup, but I'm not going to let myself become a slave to it.
I think it's totally fine that when you are putting on makeup, you're not thinking about bringing God glory. It's fine to want to be pretty in others' eyes... even those of guys.
Wanting to be loved for your beauty... That's not a sin, but it is a thought that's in err. Your friends aren't going to love you for your looks at ALL. Ask them! They love you for your personality, and don't care about the way you look.
Wanting to be noticed.... It's fine as long as it's in the right way. Wanting to be noticed is NOT a sin. Definitely not. Wanting to be noticed by guys is not a sin, as long as you try (by "try," I mean ACTUALLY try) to keep their thoughts pure. You can want to be pretty in their eyes.
Hope that made sense....
That did make sense, Julia. And, to a certain extent, I agree with you. It isn't a sin to want something that God has created. It is not evil to desire to be beautiful. The Lord created women to be beautiful, and it is a wonderful gift from Him. However, it is very easy for the desire to be beautiful, or the feeling of being beautiful, to become vanity and sin. When a desire to please the Lord and live for Him is not in our hearts, it is a sin. Now, I know that right now, saying that, I am telling you that you sin ALL the time. And that is the truth. Every time we do not think of Him, and give thanks to Him, we are sinning. Which means that I am sinning MORE than frequently. We are depraved human beings, and that is why we need a Savior. Because, consciously or unconsciously, we are sinning all the time. It is our nature. Only by God's grace and His help can we begin to overcome it. Romans 1:21 says, "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him..." Whenever we do not honor and give thanks to Him, we are in sin. We are to do EVERYTHING to His glory. "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That means, when we wear make-up, we are to do it to the glory of God, does it not?
Very good thoughts! I agree, we should want to bring God glory in everything we do--that includes our make-up. I also think wanting to look beautiful is fine, but only if it is done in a way that honors God. But most of the time I think we want to look pretty just so people notice us and think better of us. Doing it just to be noticed is not honoring to God.
1 Corinthians 6:20b
"Therefore honor God with your body." This means even with our make-up.
You put it so well! And it is so true!!! I don't wear makeup, but this is true for many other areas, and not just makeup--very thought provoking :) Thanks so much for sharing :)
Jessica
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