Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: 

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, 

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

~ Psalm 27:4

You are God's Temple

Have you ever thought about how beautiful and ordered (or organized) the tabernacle and temple of God would have been? They would have been more perfect than the most perfect interior or exterior design we see today. Check out these passages for some of the descriptions and commands Scripture gives us about God's earthly home: Exodus 25-21, 2 Chronicles 3-5, and 1 Kings 6-7. From the perfect measurements to materials like gold, silver, bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, fine linen, oil, spices, incense, onyx stones, we see God's care and concern for order and beauty in His temple and tabernacle.

You are God's Temple

There is no longer a temple today. So do you know what the temple is now? It is the people of God. We are God's temple and He lives within us. If God cared so much about beautifying and ordering His temple, wouldn't He also care about the temple of His people? In fact, we know the answer! Paul wrote this to the Corinthians:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, 
whom you have from God? You are not your own, 
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We are to honor God with our bodies because our bodies are His house! He is living within us and thus cares about our bodies. Just as God's temple was beautiful and ordered, so should our dress be beautiful and ordered.

Dress for Beauty

When we get dressed each morning, we should dress for beauty. God cares about beauty and He desires that we make ourselves beautiful. After all, He is the creator and originator of beauty (Psalm 27:4, Psalm 50:2)! But notice that this pursuit of beauty isn't all-consuming or to the extreme.

If you look at God's temple, you see good taste and valuable materials, not an overdone, cheap appearance. A truly beautiful young lady has good taste in her colors, hair, make-up, etc. and doesn't flaunt herself or her body, but shows her value in her appearance. We shouldn't cheapen ourselves. God is living in us and we are valuable to Him:

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, 

I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

~ Isaiah 43:3-4

Dress for Order

Also like the temple of God, we need to dress with order and "that which is proper":

Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel…

with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 

~ 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Respectable and proper…that sounds rather archaic and old-fashioned, doesn't it? (For the record, there's nothing wrong with old-fashioned things!) Think about it as dressing appropriately. You wouldn't wear dirty jeans to a wedding or your swim suit to a funeral. You would wear things appropriate to the occasion. Each day when we get dressed, we should think about what would be appropriate for what we are going to be doing that day.

Another aspect of this order is modesty. To be respectable and proper is to be decent or presentable, according to the dictionary. There was nothing in or around God's temple that was indecent or unpresentable. Everything was pure, lovely, and honorable. It should be the same with us! We should dress with order and dignity, remembering that we are representing our God, who is inside of us.

Closing Thoughts

God's temple and tabernacle must have been glorious to behold, because they reflected His glory, beauty, and order. As God's temples ourselves, let's reflect His beauty and order in our own lives by the way we dress. We have such a gift to be called to be God's temple. Let's delight in it and take it seriously.

Blessings,
Christina

P.S. The picture above is of a replica of the tabernacle that my family and I were privileged to visit a few years ago. I share it just to give a glimpse of what the tabernacle might have looked like. But, my friends, the real thing would have been so far more beautiful and glorious that this!

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

True Beauty

Enjoy this never before released video from one of the first Matters of Her Heart meetings about true beauty! https://vimeo.com/131562868

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, 

whom you have from God? You are not your own,

 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Update!

Hello, my friends! I am sorry about my blogging absence of late. Life has been absolutely crazy and time to write has been very limited. I've been currently working two jobs (almost full-time) and taking college classes full time (some the hardest classes I've taken yet!). In this midst of all of this craziness, a lot of things have been pushed to the back burner, including Matters of Her Heart. But I'm getting back to things now. Why?

Well, I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday. I'm sore and swollen and tired. But this week I'm off work (though I still have school to do), so I'll have more time to write and catch up on the things, including the monthly email newsletter and some blog posts!

I also want to hear from you this week! What has God taught you about modesty over the years? I would love to hear from you, learning more about your thoughts, hearing about what verses have especially encouraged you in modesty, what areas of modesty you would like me to address, and your testimonies about God's work in your life as He has built you up in the area modesty. No email is too short or too long. I am just interested in learning from you about how modesty has affected your life. Perhaps I can use some of your thoughts in a future email or blog post, but I'll be sure to ask. I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Thank you for your patience with me as I walk through this crazy adventure called life. God is so good through it all. In the moments when I felt like I was doing the impossible, when my brain felt fried, when my heart was weary, God was here with me. He has sustained and blessed me in so many ways.

Last night I came across these verses from Psalms that reflects the praise my heart from these past weeks: "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust…You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told." ~ Psalm 40:4a-5

As I've leaned on God and trusted Him, He has blessed me in countless ways. There truly is none like Him. I would love to tell you everything He done in my life in these past weeks, but "they are more than can be told." Whether it was the tight and tender hug of a little child, kind words from a co-worker, playing piano at church, etc., God has blessed me and blessed me indeed. He is good. I don't know what adventure He has taken you on this week, but I do know that He is with you every step of the way. Trust Him! He is so good and there is none like Him! He will bless you in countless ways.

Love in Christ,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, 

who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, 

who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

~ Isaiah 52:7

So…How Do I Do It? 15 Modesty Tips

People talk a lot about the importance of modesty. But, we then ask, how do we do it? What does it look like in "real life"? I'm not going to give you a modesty check list or set of guidelines, but I do want to share 15 practical tips of things that I've learned over the years. Feel free to send me yours!

1. When you get dressed each day, remember that you are dressing for the Lord, as His treasure, for the purpose of serving Him and reflecting His light inside of you!

2. Buy camisoles, leggings, and thin shirts with varying necklines to layer under clothing and help to ensure modesty.

3. Wear boots and leggings with your skirts in the winter.

4. Shop at resale shops for modest, less expensive styles.

5. Purchase a bigger size if the article of clothing is too tight, but make sure that it doesn't bulge in the wrong places! :)

6. If you find a brand/style of clothing that is modest and fits you well, invest in a bunch of them because styles and brands are always changing.

7. If you aren't sure about it, don't buy it. Just because an outfit is modest doesn't mean you have to get it. And if it is borderline modest and you keep second guessing yourself, skip it! Only buy clothes you think you will actually wear (and I mean more than once!).

8. For swim suits, shop in the active wear section for moisture-wicking tops and bottoms.

9. To dress up plain tops, use scarves, short necklaces, and long necklaces.

10. Use jewelry that isn't really big and gaudy. It should accessorize your outfit, not take over!

11. Simple yet pretty hair styles can be accomplished with some bobby pins, heat (curling iron or straightener), a pretty clip, gel, mousse, etc. God gave you hair that looks good on you! Don't be extreme and change it too much!

12. Make-up isn't for everyone. I know lots of girls who look great without it! If you do wear it, be natural. Don't wear very bright, dark, or obvious colors anywhere on your face. Find products that look good with your skin and features. (Ask your mom for her advice!) Keep your look fresh and sweet.

13. Before you go somewhere, think about what you will be doing. Will you be around little kids? Make sure your outfit is conducive to sitting on the floor, bending over, etc. Will you be on stage? Make sure that there are no eye-catching aspects of your outfit that will distract from your performance. Will you be exercising? Make sure that you can be modest in all positions. You get the picture! Ask yourself if you will be comfortable and modest with what you will be doing in your outfit!

14. As we talked about in our last post, draw attention to your face. Make sure that your outfit doesn't draw people's eyes to your body, but lifts them upward toward your smile!

15. Don't forget, have fun! There is so much freedom and joy in modesty! We'll keep digging into it in the weeks to come!

Blessings,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!