Wearing a Skirt Doesn't Make You a Better Christian...
This post comes from More Than Four Walls
Head over and check out her page.
Here are my thoughts on the post...
I have been tossing around the idea of wearing skirts for some time
now. I’ve been (trying) to study out scripture related to the
philosophy of why many Christian women exclusively wear skirts.
My hesitation is an issue of the heart.
Do I want to wear skirts because the Lord is speaking to me about it or do I want to do it because it somehow presents me in a light that I am “more Christian” or “more feminine” than others?
Am I doing it just because other Christian mom bloggers that I have come to respect are skirt-wearing and some say it is the way to go as good Christian woman?
In this process the Lord has shown me that for a long time, more years than I can count, I have had this vision of skirt-wearing women. I liken them to Caroline from Little House on the Prairie and the life played out on television. There has been a draw in me toward that era in time, when life was simple, chivalry wasn’t dead and women (and men) had defined clear-cut roles.
But the Lord has asked me to ask myself the hard questions. Do I think skirt wearing will change my life? Do I think skirt-wearing will change my heart and make me a better Christian?
In a world where the gender lines seem to be blurring more and more every day skirt wearing can be a celebration of being feminine that the world can see.
Skirt wearing is not going to magically throw me into a blissful land of homeschooling and cookie baking. Only the Lord can work out the details of my life and fulfill my desire to be a stay at home mom.
As I mentioned above you can guess what I thought about her. I smiled inside and thought “If I could coordinate and outfit like that at least I’d look better when I wore skirts!”
The Lord arranged for her stay at the window to be long and my place in line to lad at the teller next to her. As the money for my deposit was being counted I over heard her say a few things that did not sound very loving, meek, kind or Christian.
Immediately I hear the Lord say, “Wearing as skirt does not make you a better Christian.”
He is so right.
Being a Christian has less to do with our outward appearance and more to do with the attitude of our hearts. For out of the heart the mouth speaks.
“…..for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34b
God is doing great things in my life and slowly working on my attitude, my thoughts and my emotions. He has laid it on my heart to dress more modestly, which I started doing a few years back but at this time I don’t see a clear leading in my life to wear skirts exclusively.
If our hearts are not right are we not just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day; walking around “showing” our religiousness but never really living out our faith?
I pass no judgment on the woman at the bank. I have no idea where she’ll spend eternity or where her heart lies. Perhaps she is a beautiful Christian woman who momentarily fell into the trap of gossip and judgment (haven’t we all?)
God put her there to speak to me not for me to judge her.
She was His reminder to me that He ultimately wants my heart to be right and pure before him.
Skirt wearing is not going to change my heart. It is not going to help me learn to submit to my husband and allow him to take role as head of our home. It is not going to make me more patient or a better mom.
Putting on a skirt will not make me (or you) be less judgmental or less apt to gossip about a neighbor.
At least not in the Lord’s eyes.
“And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws.” James 2:10 (NLT)
We see in James that no matter if it’s murder, gossip, immodest dress or judgment we are just as guilty in God’s eyes. Thank you Lord for sending you son to pay the price for all of our sins!
As I mentioned earlier I have always felt a pull toward women in skirts and the “Little House” way of life. Yet I can see myself easily slipping into pride in this area?
How about you? Have you ever thought more highly of yourself for you modest attire over someone else’s less than appealing wardrobe?
“If anyone things he is something when his is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take priced in himself without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 5:12
If we are proud of who we have become in Jesus Christ and what we have learned through Him that is awesome. We cannot find that pride in comparing ourselves to others.
If we have clear revelation from the Lord that He wants us to dress a certain way then we should honor Him and follow that prompting but we mustn’t do it because we are following trend, putting on a show or wanting to look “holier.”
I see reason to dress modestly but I don’t believe modesty is more than just outward appearance.
I don’t have all the answers to skirt-wearing. I write this not as an expert but as a gal searching out answers and maybe letting another women struggling with the same issue see that she’s not alone in her journey.
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Head over and check out her page.
Here are my thoughts on the post...
I
loved this post. I could have written it myself. I have worn skirt
exclusively and I also have not worn them. I even have worn cape dresses
and headcovering. I find that I was lead by my fleshly desire to be "Caroline Ingalls and what
she's all about" instead of what Christ really wanted. I did become
judgmental towards other women who dressed immodest and would notice
right away how others dressed. It stuck out when I was wearing just
skirts. I will say that when I wore skirts, I was more mindful of how I
acted on the outside (more ladylike, softer, etc) but I was still a bit
"holier than thou" on the inside.
I have since matured in my faith and continue to dress modest. I wear jeans and cowgirl boots (which is truly more my style) and I still occasionally wear a skirt or dress that I made myself, but when I do it's not for the same reason as before. :) Christ wants me modest from the inside out. I have had a heart change and I'm so thankful for His grace and patience!
I have since matured in my faith and continue to dress modest. I wear jeans and cowgirl boots (which is truly more my style) and I still occasionally wear a skirt or dress that I made myself, but when I do it's not for the same reason as before. :) Christ wants me modest from the inside out. I have had a heart change and I'm so thankful for His grace and patience!
Photo Credit: Temari 09
My hesitation is an issue of the heart.
Do I want to wear skirts because the Lord is speaking to me about it or do I want to do it because it somehow presents me in a light that I am “more Christian” or “more feminine” than others?
Am I doing it just because other Christian mom bloggers that I have come to respect are skirt-wearing and some say it is the way to go as good Christian woman?
Attaining an Image
In my mind sometimes, when I see a women wearing a modest skirt and looking very feminine I think how gentle and kind she must be. She must be a good housewife, willfully submitting to her husband and baking cookies every Thursday for the kids after she home schools them. Her life must be simple and drama free. I mean she must be perfect, right?In this process the Lord has shown me that for a long time, more years than I can count, I have had this vision of skirt-wearing women. I liken them to Caroline from Little House on the Prairie and the life played out on television. There has been a draw in me toward that era in time, when life was simple, chivalry wasn’t dead and women (and men) had defined clear-cut roles.
But the Lord has asked me to ask myself the hard questions. Do I think skirt wearing will change my life? Do I think skirt-wearing will change my heart and make me a better Christian?
Changing My Life
Could skirt wearing change my life? I more see it as skirt wearing is a change in my life. An outward expression of the unique femininity that I have, created by God. Then again, the same can be said of wearing make up too.In a world where the gender lines seem to be blurring more and more every day skirt wearing can be a celebration of being feminine that the world can see.
Skirt wearing is not going to magically throw me into a blissful land of homeschooling and cookie baking. Only the Lord can work out the details of my life and fulfill my desire to be a stay at home mom.
A Heart Change
Last Thursday I made a rare trip to the bank which required a visit to the lobby rather than just the drive-thru. Waiting in line I spotted a young woman, probably my age in a cute denim skirt with a button up sweater and a cute pair of sandals.As I mentioned above you can guess what I thought about her. I smiled inside and thought “If I could coordinate and outfit like that at least I’d look better when I wore skirts!”
The Lord arranged for her stay at the window to be long and my place in line to lad at the teller next to her. As the money for my deposit was being counted I over heard her say a few things that did not sound very loving, meek, kind or Christian.
Immediately I hear the Lord say, “Wearing as skirt does not make you a better Christian.”
He is so right.
Being a Christian has less to do with our outward appearance and more to do with the attitude of our hearts. For out of the heart the mouth speaks.
“…..for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34b
God is doing great things in my life and slowly working on my attitude, my thoughts and my emotions. He has laid it on my heart to dress more modestly, which I started doing a few years back but at this time I don’t see a clear leading in my life to wear skirts exclusively.
If our hearts are not right are we not just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day; walking around “showing” our religiousness but never really living out our faith?
I pass no judgment on the woman at the bank. I have no idea where she’ll spend eternity or where her heart lies. Perhaps she is a beautiful Christian woman who momentarily fell into the trap of gossip and judgment (haven’t we all?)
God put her there to speak to me not for me to judge her.
She was His reminder to me that He ultimately wants my heart to be right and pure before him.
Skirt wearing is not going to change my heart. It is not going to help me learn to submit to my husband and allow him to take role as head of our home. It is not going to make me more patient or a better mom.
Putting on a skirt will not make me (or you) be less judgmental or less apt to gossip about a neighbor.
How Proud We Are
We must be careful that putting on a skirt does not give us a false sense of pride. If we choose to wear skirts we are not somehow better than those women who don’t wear skirts.At least not in the Lord’s eyes.
“And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws.” James 2:10 (NLT)
We see in James that no matter if it’s murder, gossip, immodest dress or judgment we are just as guilty in God’s eyes. Thank you Lord for sending you son to pay the price for all of our sins!
As I mentioned earlier I have always felt a pull toward women in skirts and the “Little House” way of life. Yet I can see myself easily slipping into pride in this area?
How about you? Have you ever thought more highly of yourself for you modest attire over someone else’s less than appealing wardrobe?
“If anyone things he is something when his is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take priced in himself without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 5:12
If we are proud of who we have become in Jesus Christ and what we have learned through Him that is awesome. We cannot find that pride in comparing ourselves to others.
If we have clear revelation from the Lord that He wants us to dress a certain way then we should honor Him and follow that prompting but we mustn’t do it because we are following trend, putting on a show or wanting to look “holier.”
I see reason to dress modestly but I don’t believe modesty is more than just outward appearance.
I don’t have all the answers to skirt-wearing. I write this not as an expert but as a gal searching out answers and maybe letting another women struggling with the same issue see that she’s not alone in her journey.
Pin It
I have been wearing skirts exclusively now for over 3 years. I started wearing them because I felt convicted about wanting to be *different* from a world where the lines of gender don't exist anymore.
ReplyDeleteI knew some older Christian ladies who wore skirts/dresses exclusively having been raised that way from a different generation and saw that they understood the concept of being a female in GOD's eyes. Different in appearance from a male.
Is that right? I don't know.I guess it just depends on who you ask. I do know that wearing a skirt/dress does not make me better than any other Christian. Sweet JESUS saving my wretched soul makes me a Christian. My daily walk with HIM and how I obey HIS word makes me a Christian.
After 3 years of wearing skirts exclusively I would not go back to britches for anything. I feel so odd in them now ;- )
Thanks for the post. It gives one a lot to ponder on.
So glad to hear that you are doing better ;- ) Have a blessed day in Sweet JESUS!
Amanda
Matthew 6:33
I had to chuckle at this line "Skirt wearing is not going to magically throw me into a blissful land of homeschooling and cookie baking" - I wear a skirt all the time - because I like to wear skirts, they look good on me, they are more feminine and I don't like to dress like a boy and my mother told me to when I was young!! But I am no homeschooling wife and mother - I happen to be one of those dreaded career women who work all day in an office!! Also considered to be a less Christian choice, a little bit like not wearing skirts. Wearing a skirt or being a homeschooling mum does not make a christian - there is a far more to be being a Christian and I think some women completely miss the point. I also think (whilst I am on a roll) that some Christian women get very bogged down on a couple bible verses and seem to forget the rest. You have raised some very good points - and you looked lovely in your jeans in the other post.
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