Monday, March 4, 2013

Judging Others

 Today, I'm going to write something that I have to be a bit careful about. I don't want to offend anyone, but this is something we were talking about today. As Christian girls, modesty is important, but so is having a good spirit. Sometimes, we might have the tendency to look down on people for what they wear.

 The Bible tells us to be modest, and there are varied opinions on what is modest. There is also something called personal convictions. This is when a person feels that the Lord is wanting them to dress a certain way. At least as far as clothing goes. Personal convictions can translate to many things. If someone is doing something, wearing something, the Bible doesn't tell us not too, that we would not do, that is our personal conviction.

 For example, some people believe skirts should go to the ankles, or mid calf. I feel comfortable if a skirt is below my knees. Some people only believe in wearing skirts, while others think jeans are okay, as long as they aren't too tight, and showing off your body. Clothing is a tricky thing. I believe everything should be modest, but we have to careful not to start viewing other people as less of a Christian then we are because their skirt is a few inches shorter or something of the sort.

 The most important thing to remember is this: No matter how a person is dressed, they are a soul in need of love. How can we show Christ to anyone if we're looking down on them all the time?

 This is a spiritual thing that I encourage every girl to pray about. It IS important that we not wear anything that would displease God, so we should pray without ceasing to see what His will is for this. But we can't let clothing become the most important thing to us, because in the end, if a person gets to the place they need to be with God, the clothing will fall in line with Him as well.

 We should seek the Lord to have good spirits, that we might be a blessing and encouragement to everyone we meet, no matter how they dress. I still believe in modesty, but some things may be modest without lining up with our personal convictions. We can't confuse conviction with commandment. So let's just be an encouragement to everyone.

 I hope you've all had a wonderful day! God bless! :)
 

4 comments:

  1. This is definitely true! I've thought the same. It is so easy to judge others based on their clothing, or hair, or situation, when really we should be focused on loving them. What is more important: that they realize the error of their clothing choices, or that they realize God's incredible love for them? :-) It can be difficult to break out of old thought processes, though.

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  2. Indeed it can! But if those people are wrong in what they are doing, they certainly won't change if we look down on them. :)

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    1. Exactly so. :-) In fact, when people feel judged or put down for their life choices (especially something as generally arbitrary as clothing), they tend to pull away from the source of judgement and solidify even more!

      So I have to be vigilant that my heart is not "I will be nice so I can change this person" but rather "What can I do to show the love of Jesus to this person?" :-)

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  3. Wow! What a wonderful post; God has really blessed you, Bethany.

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