::Clothing Vs. Character::

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4

What do you think the first thing people notice about you is? Do you think the first thing they notice is your hair, your clothing, or your figure? Do you put out an extra effort each day to make sure that you look great? Today's verse tells us that our beauty shouldn't come from our outward adornment, but from our inner self. So what about your character? Do you think that people notice how you treat and respond to others? Do you think that people can tell that you are a Christian by the way you act and the words you say? Do you put in that extra effort each day to spend time with God in hopes of becoming more like Him? Sometimes I forget that the clothes that I put on in the morning, I take back off at night, but the time I spend building a relationship with God, lasts for eternity. 20 years from now no one is going to remember the way that I did my hair today, but they will remember how I treated them. They will remember if I professed to be a Christian, but my actions didn't back it up. But they probably won't have a clue what my shoes looked like or what color of eye shadow I wore to the prom. When I look at life from that perspective, I no longer desire to catch someone's eye with my clothing, but I want them to notice my relationship with Christ through the way I interact with others.

Reflection:

Do you want others to notice you for your looks or for who you really are?

Application Step:

Make a commitment to spend more time on your relationship with Christ than on your outward appearance.

Prayer:

Father God, I love you. I really do. However, sometimes I fail to show that. I tend to get caught up in the things of this world. I want to look good for others Lord, but I can't seem to remember that it's not my hair or clothing that really makes an impact on others. The condition of my heart and how that effects my actions is what leaves a lasting impression on those that I meet. Lord, I don't want to be remembered as a hypocrite. I want to be remembered as someone who brought glory to your name. Please help me to become the person you want me to be, and to put less of my focus on things that really aren't that important in the long run. In the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Below are two photos, the first one is clothing styles from the 90's, the second one is clothing styles from 2011, see how the styles have changed over the years. So what you wear now, could and will change, but the way you treat a person, will be with you for the rest of your life. So let your inner beauty shine, and don't just let the outter beauty take over.