The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 14, Part 3 of 6
“And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.” (James 1:22-25). What does our natural face look like? Does it have a mask of mascara, an edge of haughty pride, or an unclean shaven face? What is natural? What is upkeep? What is vanity?
Women adorn themselves in cosmetics, seldom knowing that the Greek word, “kosmos” or, “world,” is what they paint on their face. The unnatural face of pride stems, not from accomplishment, but from self-worship, never accepting that it is through Elohim alone that we even are. Men often look to youth with displaced vigor, and so shave their beards off seeking to be younger, not only in appearance, but also in action.
“Likewise, that the women dress themselves becomingly, with decency and sensibleness, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly garments, but with good works, which is becoming for women undertaking worship of Elohim.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Sexuality is used to sell everything from cigarettes to children’s clothing. Paul warns us against rehearsing pagan customs, and encourages women to strive for virtue rather than vanity. It was a custom for women to wear skimpy clothing and run strands of gold in their hair to make themselves objects of sparkling sexuality in celebrations unto Aphrodite.
Let us, therefore, examine what we are wearing inside and out, and why. Is it grotesque vanity and dead customs, or good deeds and everlasting kindness? What are some good deeds we could wear without boasting or showmanship?
Dressing provocatively not only advertises low worth, but also drags others down, from children looking up to you, to completely unsuspected people lusting after you. Children who are not yet teenagers often strive to dress like teenagers. Teenagers who are not yet adults often strive to dress like adults. Adults, however, are beginning to dress like children, for the purpose of seduction.
When fighting the look of worldly appearance, we often go to the other extreme. It is acceptable to cause our hair to look nice, and there is no sin in dressing up, either. A woman who is dressed in the good deed of giving knows that just jewelry would be diminishing, and that jewelry, or a haircut, can add no beauty to her. Modest does not mean bland, but respectful to yourself and others.
There is no makeup, and no designer clothing, that can make a woman even half as beautifully radiant as a woman who is happy and mentally, physically, and spiritually fit.
There is no look so strong as a tender acceptance of love, and the tenacity not to just die for it, but to live for it.
There is no path as rustic, as manly, as embracing the path before us, rather than just the past.
For attire, we know the basics, like in Deuteronomy 22:5 where cross-dressing is prohibited; however, it seems like a lot of people go to extremes in thought on this passage, envisioning a “Bill” looking exactly like a “Cassandra.” While that is definitely wrong, looking at this Law, if a woman is not to wear men’s clothing, then why do we see so many in business suits with shoulder pads, or for that matter men wearing pink? It is a good thing for a woman to be a woman and wear a decent dress. It is feminine, and, for the record, that is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of difference. While I find it perfectly natural for a woman to wear modest pants with a shorter dress overtop to cover her sensuality when hiking, or whenever the need may occur: Men should look like men. Women should look like women.
To a degree, though, it doesn’t matter how you dress. Wicked guys are going to look whether you are in a tiny bathing suit or dressed in head to toe black, but one ought still do their best to be modest. There is no need to wear a see-through top with a lacey bra underneath, and there is no need to wear twenty-three layers, either. Somewhere in-between lies the thicker than most think thin line.
Yet, this is not just for others. A woman will feel differently while wearing a fancy dress than she will when she is wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. A man will feel differently while wearing a martial arts uniform than he will while wearing a business suit. It would be useful to honestly contemplate the affects our clothing choices have on us, for while we may think them minuscule, they are in fact rather intrusive and prevalent. A little boy puts on a cowboy outfit, and guess what he becomes. We suppress these feelings some when older, but they are still there controlling our emotional state.
Yet, there is far more than visual attraction. For women, and some men, too, the idea of personal odor is a bizarre and confusing issue. Many harbor fear that their sweat may have some odor to it, and so apply a vast array of poisonous, toxic, and nauseous perfumes, deodorants, sprays, and perfumed laundry detergents that assault the senses, and only mingle with our own odor. This unnatural, unhealthy, and counterproductive theory ought be closely examined. Scents, most often purchased for sex appeal, are not just in a bottle of perfume, but in many types of commodities. It is good to, not just smell clean, but also to be clean, so make sure the products you use are clean. Cleanliness, though, is not just what is on the face.
A matter of an inch can alter a person completely. Droop your head down an inch, and it is a symbol of the heart being depressed, or oppressed. Raise it two inches, and this will display the prideful arrogance of the mind. Lower it again one inch, and there is the image of the soul.
If today where the day—that glorious day—that you were to meet the Messiah face to face, what would you wear? How would you kneel before Him today? Would the foul shirt be funny anymore? Would you remember the forsaken tzitzit as you started into His? Would your dress reveal more of your chest than your heart? Would your face be that of a friend, or painted only to pretend? What do you wear before Him today? Would you look like Him, or would you look like the world?
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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