Freedom from Beauty: Day 22

Twenty-two days has gone surprisingly quick. Christmas is almost here and though my fast is coming to a close, the lessons I've learned from it will always remain. Most of what I learned was revealed within the first few days and has already been shared on this blog, but here are a few other things:

• What we do matters. I think all to often we justify this and tell ourselves that it doesn't matter, no one is paying attention, people shouldn't judge us anyway, and so we can do what we want. This is simply just not the truth. I think of my daughter who is watching absolutely everything I do. She is watching everyone around her and taking it all in. I'll notice her imitating things I didn't even realize she saw, much less understood. She's like a sponge. She's been stealing my make-up and proudly trying to put it on herself since she was a year old. How she knew that the eye shadow was to be applied near the eyes is beyond me. If I'm doing it, she likely will be as well. I don't care if she wears make-up when she's older. I do care if she thinks that she is only beautiful with it on and if she draws value and worth from it. That's not the message I want to send her or anyone else who might be watching what I do and how I act.
• There's more about this issue than can be learned in twenty-something days. It would be a shame to just get through these days and then shut my mind and heart off to anything else God may choose to reveal to me at another time. I want to always be open and listening to what the Lord might be speaking to me. 
• It's helpful to have accountability and someone nearby to encourage you when things get a little tough. My husband and sister had to remind me why I was doing this whenever I began to lose focus or get frustrated at the situation. They have also been helpful in choosing modesty by letting me know if something wasn't very appropriate to wear. This is helpful since my radar isn't very refined or objective in that area and I'll likely need some extra guidance and insight into the subject for a while. 
• Whenever there's doubt, it's always a good idea to seek God and godly counsel. He wants us to learn and grow, but if we don't seek Him in our endeavors, how can we expect to be growing in Him? If I just cut out make-up and switched up my clothes for a while and didn't seek God during this time, of what value would it really be? But, if I commit that time to seeking Gods heart in a particular issue, He delights in showing me His truths. 

I'll continue to seek God in all things and to make sure He is first in my life. That certainly includes these areas of beauty and modesty. I'll try and be a good steward of how I spend the time He's given me each day. I'm thankful for all He's shown me thus far and am looking forward to applying those things and letting Him transform my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. 

Freedom from Beauty: Day 9

There's one fairly predictable, but nonetheless beneficial, plus side to not wearing make-up or getting all dolled up before leaving to go somewhere. I have so much more time. I was never one to put loads of make-up on every day and usually I would just darken my eyebrows, but there were still a good amount of days which I would apply more make-up, take the extra time to fix my hair, and try outfit after outfit on. 

Well, now I can get ready in a lot less time. And lets be honest, we could all use more time. Unless God stops the clock again as in the days of Joshua 10, the day will always be 24 hours long. What you spend your time doing says a lot about who you are and what you value. The time I've saved by not putting on make-up or fretting over clothing and hair has been spent with God in quiet time or spent with my family. I can't think of anything better to spend my time doing.  

So, here are some of my thoughts about the whole make-up thing:

• If you don't have time to do those things which matter most to you, but do have time to spend making yourself up, then you need to think about re-prioritizing. 
• I, for one, can't think of much else more vain than putting on make-up. It doesn't even last one day (at least not in my case). There's no good excuse for the amount of time spent in front of a mirror. It isn't an investment and it doesn't last but must be continually re-applied. It can cause discontentment and stress when seen without it on (see below) and takes away valuable time. 
• If make-up is causing unnecessary stress, you need a make-up cleanse. Give it up for a time, or even forever minus those special occasions. How do you know when it's causing unnecessary stress? If you can't go swimming, can't cry, or can't be seem without it on, that's when. You don't need to have that split second of fear while driving somewhere thinking, "Wait, did I forget to fix my eyebrows?!". 

Oh, and one more thing that's noteworthy. This past weekend my husbands family all got together to take family photos to send out on his parents Christmas cards. My mother in law printed 80 cards to send out. So, on top of the entire immediate family all seeing me make-up free, there will be approximately 80 households seeing my make-up free face on their Christmas cards. And you know what, no one is going to care, and what's even better is that I don't have to, either. That makes me smile. :)

Do You Know Him?

Do you know Christ, I mean really, really know Him? Intimately, passionately, scripturally?  

Do you find it difficult to commit yourself to Christ and endure through the trials and tribulations of life? Is it difficult for you to trust this Man whom you worship in church, but sometimes struggle to find Him in the day to day? 

I spent some time this morning reading in 2 Timothy. Paul is writing his final words to Timothy. Paul knows his earthly death is soon and that he would be executed shortly thereafter. What is it about Christ that causes a man to give up his life for Him? To endure, even with death looking you in the eye? How can someone be that persuaded and faithful?

Well, in 2 Timothy we get an insight to these matters as Paul exhorts Timothy to follow in his footsteps confidently. Paul is basically telling Timothy that he, too, may be called to give up his life for Christ, and to do so with faith, hope, and joy. Paul then shares one reason that he endures all kinds of sufferings, even to the point of death. 

"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."

~2 Timothy 1:12~

For I know whom I have believed...Wow. If you find yourself struggling to endure, ashamed of the Gospel, unable to understand the sufferings that you go through, then maybe it's time you really get to know that Man that you say you trust in. I'm convinced that the more we seek and find Him, the more astonished we would find ourselves. He was not just a man. He was the savior of the world. He didn't just die. He arose from death. Angels bow down to Him, demons fear Him; we would be smart to do likewise. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

~Matthew 7:21-23~

We can know about God, we can even call upon His mighty name and work miracles through Him, but it won't mean anything unless we really know Him. Even the demons know Jesus:

"And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you."

~Acts 19:15~

Knowing Jesus' name and knowing Him personally are different, and, as seen in Acts 19, the demons recognized that as well when sons of a Jewish chief priest and Jewish exorcists tried using the name of Christ to banish evil spirits, and the spirits saw right through it. They knew these people didn't know Jesus themselves, they only knew His name was power and they wanted to use it.  

So, how can we be sure we know Him? The Bible says that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13-14). The apostle John says in 1 John the following:

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him', and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

~1 John 2:3-6~

Seek God. Read His word. Pray. Obey His commands. He is faithful and when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). While we seek to know Him more fully, let us remember and take comfort in how He knows us. 

"Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His', and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'"

~2 Timothy 2:19~

How we know God is not to even be compared to how God knows us, but we trust even the more so because of that. The following verse sums it up pretty well for me. 

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

~1 Corinthians 13:11-13~

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I sometimes find it helpful and more meaningful when I learn the root words and meanings in the original languages of the Scripture. If you are interested in going a little deeper on your own, refer to Blue Letter Bible. Here are some notes from my studies in relation to the above verses:

The greek translation for "know" in 2 Timothy 1:12 is eidō. It means to perceive, to see, to pay attention to, to discern. This is the word Paul used to explain how he knew God and how his faith in God in knowing Him helped Paul to endure. 

If you continue to read in 2 Timothy, you will come across 2 Timothy 2:19. The greek translation for "know" in 2:19 is ginōskō which also means to understand, to perceive, to have knowledge of, but it also is a Jewish idiom for knowing someone as intimately as a husband and wife do in the marriage act. This is how God knows us. For those that commit their life to God, He will know them deeply and intimately and place His seal upon them. 

In Acts 19:15, the greek translation for "know" in regards to the evil spirit knowing Jesus Christ is also ginōskō. How the evil spirit knows Paul, the root word is different for "know", it is epistamai which means to be acquainted with, to understand. 

In 1 Corinthians 13:11-13, the first "knowing in part" has the root word ginōskō (so right now we can only know partially the way Christ knows us), whereas the following "shall know just as I also am known" contains a similar root word but slightly different and expanded, epiginōskō, which means to know accurately, to know well. Christ knows us fully, accurately, and intimately.

See Blue Letter Bible for more in depth studies of the Scriptures.