Are you a Jezebel? Are you sure?

One of the first things you may think of when you hear about Jezebel is makeup, but it goes far beyond that.

Some women do not wear makeup because they don't want to BE a Jezebel (read 1 and 2 Kings).  But Jezebel was not sinful for wearing makeup.  She was sinful because:

Revelation 2:20

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

Sure, she used her makeup to lure men in.  In fact, when she fell out the window, the dogs wouldn't even eat her makeup (of course they wouldn't).  But her makeup was not the sin, it was her heart.

Let's not be so technical about something that is not only not mentioned as a sin, but that it really is just there.  It's not good or bad.  It's just makeup.

So why do I no longer wear makeup?  Because I don't want to be a Jezebel....

Did that make sense to you?  Didn't I just say that you're not a Jezebel for wearing makeup?  Let me explain:

 

Just as I think there is nothing wrong with television itself (for it could do some amazing things ministry wise), we do not have any sort of cable or Netflix or of the such anymore.  TV is not the sin, it's what we choose to do with the television that is sinful.  I was wasting my time watching television when I could have been spending that time doing something edifying.  Not to mention, I would be really into a show and hear a curse word, or there would be something immodest.  Would I turn it off?  No, because that would be like saying I wasted that last 45 minutes!  That was the only "bad" part.  The rest is about "good" things.  The t.v. wasn't the sinner....I was.  It's the same with makeup.

So how can makeup be sinful?  I can only give you the example in my personal life:

I wore makeup for the following reasons:

 

1)  I was a girl.  You were supposed to.  Almost every girl I knew wore it.  It was just expected.

 

2)  I wanted to cover up flaws that I had: acne, uneven skin tone, scars, etc.

 

3)  It was stylish.  Just like the new shoes everyone was wearing or that cute purse, it was in style (and has been for quite some time and will probably always will be).

 

4)  I wanted to look beautiful to others and feel accepted.


Look at the reasons why maybe you wear makeup.  Are some of ours similar if you're honest with yourself?  None of those reasons are appropriate reasons to wear makeup with the exception of #2 (which is not in all cases, but in some).

 

You see, had I grown up in some places in this world where makeup is considered hideous, I know I wouldn't have worn it.  I only wore makeup as a culture thing.  I wouldn't have worn it if I would have been rejected by others.  Chances are, you wouldn't either.

Just like Jezebel, it comes down to my heart.  Not the makeup.  Why was I wearing it?  If I was wearing it to please man, or because I felt ugly without it, I was sinning. 

You see, God created me just the way He wanted me to be.  Without makeup.  And for me to say that I need to cover up a "flaw" that He created, well, it's kinda like saying He doesn't do good work.  Actually, that's EXACTLY what it's saying.

Or maybe my excuse was just to look "presentable."  Why?  It was an excuse.  But my heart was really wanting to look presentable to feel better about myself.  So while that statement was true in a sense, it really always came back to me and my selfish desires to fit in to this world.

 

 

Romans 12:1 & 2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Now I am not saying that every woman that wears makeup feels this way.  This is how I felt, and I do believe if most women were honest, that's how they feel too.  Yet, I know there are some out there who don't.  But usually, the ones who don't, don't wear it because of the time and cost.

 

I mean look at the cost alone:  American women spend an average of $12,000 annually on beauty products and grooming.  That's staggering!  What could we do with that $12,000?  That is NOT a typo!  I never spent close to that, but yet, I was still wasting money on trying to "please the world."  From Samaritan's Purse, that would buy 1,714 shoeboxes for children for CHRISTmas, it would almost build a church, or you could purchase 171 goats to help families just survive. 

You see, I'm not just talking about cosmetics, but clothes and all of these other things we tell ourselves we "deserve." 

One of the biggest mistakes I made was comparing myself to others.  I mean, I never spent probably even half of what the average person around me spent, therefore, I could feel good about how I spent my money.  Furthermore, I had NO IDEA how God told them to spend their money.  I just knew how God wanted me to spend the money He has blessed ME with.


I'm not saying we can't look nice.  I'm saying that when our hearts are out to please this world, we will NEVER be satisfied.  We always have to look the way that is the current trend for our circle of friends. 



I think my peak was when I was a store manager for a popular clothing store.  I mean, it was "expected" of me to dress and look fashionable right?  Isn't that apart of my job?

Well, my job should never come before my personal convictions.  And I knew that my heart was set on pleasing those around me.  I've always been somewhat of a people-pleaser. 

But what about God?  Does He REALLY care if I wear a blue shirt with a name-brand on it, or one from the thrift store?  Probably only in the areas of modesty and being a good steward of my finances.

Which brings me to another point:  Modesty.  Sometimes, I would let some of my modest convictions slide for the sake of fashion.  Maybe there was the cutest top I had ever seen that was on sale that was just slightly low cut.  I knew I would wear something under it, but when I got home, I didn't have anything that matched, so I just decided to keep it pulled up all night while I wore it.  Only then, I forgot about it.  "Oh well, it's just a very small amount of cleavage.  No one was looking anyways..."

Am I the only one who honestly ever justified these type of scenarios when it comes to this?  There was a time when I was so desperate to be "fashionable,"  that sometimes, when small contradictions were presented to me, I tried to make them "right" instead of just saying, "no."

So basically, I wore makeup to please others and to feel good about myself.  I'm not saying that it's wrong to cover acne.  God didn't make you with acne.  In fact, it's probably how we eat and care for our bodies that caused the pimple.  So covering up that blemish isn't covering up God's work, but for ME, covering up that one pimple was sin because I wasn't covering it up for the right reason.  I wasn't saying, "I'm going to cover this up so everyone isn't asking me about it all day," or something to that effect.  It was, "Oh no, I have a pimple.  That makes me look so ugly.  I can't go out unless I cover it up!"

I know a woman that I used to go to church with that told me a story of being late for work one day.  She didn't have time to put her makeup on and be on time, so she chose to be late to work so she could be "presentable."  In fact, I have never seen her without makeup.  Speaking with her a few times, it is clear she is very self-conscious (she is beautiful, by the way....and not because she wears makeup and dresses nice).  Do you think it is better to be late for work...a commitment you made to be on time....causing others to pull your weight until you get there....leaving your testimony for your co-workers watching....just so you can look the way the world tells you that you should? 

Ladies, we are doing our husbands a huge disservice.  We think we are "looking good" for them by "dolling up."  Now, I DO think we should "doll" up for our husbands, but not in the same way the world tells us to.  We are spending the hard-earned money our husband makes (and maybe your hard-earned money as well) so we can please others.  Likely, it's spending habits like this that put us in the bondage of debt.

 

If your husband wants you to wear makeup...by all means, wear makeup.  But do it for him, not for others.  Our focus should be on pleasing the Lord, and then our husbands.  In fact, most husbands really don't care after a few years of marriage.  He's already seen how "scary" you look in your PJ's, wild and unwashed hair, and without makeup, and he is used to it by now.  In fact, it's probably kinda growing on him. 

It was the same thing with dying my hair.  No, I didn't find anything wrong with it, but it was an unnecessary expense.  At some point, I have to have a little gray, unless I want to be that 75 year old woman (yes I'm thinking of someone now) who has jet black hair and could never stop dying it every two weeks because it would be a HUGE shocker to everyone to see how they would really look when they've always looked a certain way for 75 years. 

It's okay to age....it's going to happen.  We might as well accept it and look at it as getting closer to Heaven...not closer to dying.

My point in this post is to have you evaluate your own life.  Maybe you don't wear makeup or high-priced, fashionable clothes....but maybe you have a judgmental spirit for those who do.  Can I just say, we don't know someone's heart.  I do believe people can dress fashionably and wear makeup and dye their hair and the whole nine yards and do it without sin.  But I believe it is difficult...and for me, I knew I couldn't.

It's too tempting for me.  If I started wearing some of the latest trends...I'd start getting compliments.  Then I'd start getting prideful (which is a daily battle for me)...then I'd want to keep it up so I could hear how great I look again. 

Please don't think I'm saying I will never wear something that is "in-style."  It does happen by accident occasionally.  But that's okay, because I bought it because "I" liked it....not because I was told to like it. 

I want to look nice, clean, presentable....I want to look like a mom.  I think it's a lot easier for me to do that now that I stay at home.  I just think about my children.  Even if I could control my heart from desiring to please others and feel "accepted,"  I know that one day, my girls will be teenagers soon.  They will likely have those same, immature feelings that I sometimes still have.  I want to be the example of confidence in being "content" no matter what state I am in.  I want my children to know if I could only afford to make my clothes, I'd still be happy and hold my head high.  Because my treasure is not in this world....it is my Home in Heaven above. 

So when I see you wearing those HIDEOUS leggings that everyone is wearing right now...I won't judge you.  I won't think, "she's just trying to fit in with everyone else."  You might genuinely like them for yourself and continue wearing them even when they go out of style.

My heart is not on these superficial things.  I don't think God cares if we wear makeup or not. 

 

Luke 18:25

"For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

But as with having great riches, I do believe the world can use it to lead us astray.  If you're strong, stay strong.  But if you're weak like me, it is far better to cut that out of our lives, than to be tempted to enter back into a world where our hearts are secretly desiring to serve man more than God.


Matthew 6:24
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."



So let's search our hearts, be honest, follow the Spirit's leading and move on.  It does not matter what you have on your face or wear.  You are not "holier" if you do avoid these things.  What matters is your heart and following the leading of the Spirit.  You know yourself.  You know your weaknesses.  I just hope that if you're like me, and you struggle in this area, you will be willing to take the matter to the Cross and leave it there. 

If you do not struggle in this area, just please be mindful that many of us women do.  I can't tell you how many people will tell me how I need to dye my hair or dress a little nicer.  They are trying to help me fit into this world, but they don't realize they are encouraging me to enter back into a world of temptation.... a place I have turned my back from.

Whatever you decide, Don't be a Jezebel!