Going off of what I said in the previous post about having standards and to answer Becki's question about how I look different than most everyone else, I am now going to tell you a little bit about my beliefs.
Before I start I want to make something clear to you all. My beliefs are my personal convictions. Aside from attaining my salvation as required in the Bible, my personal convictions will not get me to heaven. They simply make me stand out from the crowd (be ye not transformed) and it is my way of sacrificing and showing my devotion to my God.
With that said...
I am a card carrying member of the UPC (okay, they don't really give us little cards...but it certainly makes for an interesting read). You can read more about the standards of the church here. Some standards vary from church to church...ie whether or not it is acceptable to wear wedding rings or have a television. Some are pretty much "industry standard". I don't expect any of you to truly understand or agree with them. All I can tell you is that once you have the Holy Ghost you begin to understand why having some limits on your own dress is a benefit for yourself and others that are around you.
Like I said in my post entitled, "Different" I stand out. I don't stand out because I have multiple piercings or because I have green hair. I stand out from everyone.
1. I do not cut my hair.
No, not even a trim. If anyone ever tells you that you need to trim your hair to encourage growth, you need to ask them where they learned that. Medical science: hair grows from the roots and not the ends. I quit cutting my hair in 2000 because I was trying to grow it out. I got the Holy Ghost in 2001.
The Bible (God's never changing word) tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:5-7 that (paraphrased) women should be covered when praying or prophesying. Our hair was given to us for a covering. What do you sheer off of a sheep? Hair (fur, whatever). We are the lambs that know the voice of our Master.
Will you, as a woman, go to hell for cutting your hair? I don't think so. I will say that I think women should look like women. However, aside from my personal opinion and my following 1 Corinthians, it is important to note that it is not a Commandment (like in the 10 Commandments), Jesus never talks about it, and the plan of salvation doesn't say for us to repent and oh, by the way, don't cut your hair. I think this is one of those things that becomes a personal conviction when you get close to God and get into His Word.
2. I don't wear pants, jeans, shorts, or capris. I put my skirt on one leg at a time...just like everyone else.
Okay, so not really. I hope none of my few male readers wear skirts (if you wear a kilt then the jury is still out...). I wear skirts and t-shirts, blouses etc...or a dress. Why? I am so glad you asked.
Deuteronomy 22:5 tells us that women should not wear clothes that pertains to a man. Meaning we should not wear men's clothing. Pants are men's clothing. Sure yeah, I know that there are companies that specifically make women's pants, jeans, shorts, etc., but the rest of the verse tells us that when we wear clothes that belong on the opposite sex, it is an abomination to God.
I know that some people think that because this is the OT that we don't have to live by it. I know we are covered by grace, but we need to remember that Jesus came to fulfill the law and not to abolish it. We are also told later in the Gospel that the laws are good for us. The thing is that we no longer have to offer up blood sacrifices or go to a priest to forgive us of our sins. We can go straight to God.
Yes I also know that there are some pretty immodest skirts and dresses out there. I feel personally that I am being immodest if I wear pants. They have the ability to draw a man's attention to the form of my body. The Bible tells us that we should not cause another person to stumble. That's another good reason for abiding by some personal standards. You wouldn't take a recovering alcoholic to a bar, would you?
3. I don't wear make up.
This is strictly personal. The only woman that is ever told about in the Bible that wore make up and was evil was Jezebel. I don't think that make up is necessarily a sin. Once again, you won't find Jesus talking about it or find it in the plan of salvation.
I don't wear make up because I feel that if I do I am insulting God. He made me therefore I am beautiful. I do not need to touch up and improve upon the Lord's work.
And I know someone out there reading this is thinking this so I'll just answer it now. No, I don't have a problem with women that come to my church wearing pants and make up. I'm glad they are in God's house. It is God's job to change whatever part of their life that He wants them to change. I also have no problem with people that wear make up to cover up a burn, scar, birth mark, etc.
4. When I buy clothing it must pass two tests: the praying test and the hallelujah test.
The praying test: I get on my knees. My skirt must touch the ground. Usually my skirts are at least mid-calf, but I have one or two that come just to my knee that I usually wear when I am working in the yard. I haven't found anything (including rock climbing) that I can't do in a skirt. You just have to have the right skirt!!
The hallelujah test: This is for shirts. You throw your hands up in the air and shout, "Hallelujah!" Okay, you don't really have to shout. I am just looking in the mirror to ensure that my belly isn't showing and that you can't look down my sleeves (if they are short) and see inside my shirt. Oh, and it helps to bend forward to make sure the shirt is tight enough in the front to not let your girls hang out for a public show.
That's really about it for me (at least for the big stuff). I hope I answered your questions and if not, feel free to send me more.
wow, that is so interesting! I don't know anything about the UPC so I will check out the website. Thank you for posting this. You know, I have met people before who don't cut their hair and wear makeup and such, I have never had it so vividly explained. This was a great post!
Thank you for this! It was very interesting. While I do wear pants fairly often, when I served as a sister missionary for 18 months it was against the rules and you are right; you can do anything as long as you have the right skirt. I've been growing my hair out since last August AND those 'tests' are something I could definitely use when my daughters pick out their clothes.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this post! I'm so glad you put it out there like that. You explained it exactly like I would! I especially loved the Hallelujah test lol. My husband looked at me funny the first time I told him about the Hallelujah test. Now I tell all the new girls about it. If I can't pray in it I definitely can't wear it. I remember one time when I first started going to church that I decided to wear mascara. It convicted me so bad all night. I couldn't even pray for fear of me crying and looking like a racoon. I'd finally had enough and went into the bathroom and scrubbed it off. I told my husband (then friend) afterwards that anything that keeps me from my walk with God is not worth having!
wow, that is so interesting! I don't know anything about the UPC so I will check out the website. Thank you for posting this. You know, I have met people before who don't cut their hair and wear makeup and such, I have never had it so vividly explained. This was a great post!