By Shay Greenwood
As the seasons change, so do our wardrobes.
I remember wearing a black tight-fitting bodycon catsuit to a college party. It was the trend over 30 years ago; it was super fashionable. I also remember wearing the shortest mini dress – so short, there was no way I could bend over properly.
Seasons definitely change.
When I became a Christian as a young adult and then got married, I found myself in a church with rules for the way women dressed. Women shouldn’t wear pants, makeup, sleeveless tops or open-toed shoes. Women should wear pantyhose, a girdle, and long dresses or skirts. It was a culture shock for this new Jesus-loving girl who was wearing all the things on the “shouldn’t” list and didn’t like the things on the “should list.” And what’s a girdle?
Growth was definitely necessary.
I felt so judged and totally out of place. Thank God for Jesus. If we surrender our lives to Him, including our fashion tastes and wardrobes, He will lead and guide us to dress in a way that honors Him – not because someone told us to dress a certain way, but because we are open to hearing His voice in our life.
Romans 12:1-2 changed my life completely:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
No matter how people were dressing around me, I realized God was transforming me from the inside out. I could be free to wear pants, makeup, “shorter” skirts, no girdle, sleeveless tops, and open-toed shoes – unless He told me otherwise. I knew I was open to not being conformed by the world, and I would surrender to being transformed by learning God’s Word.
As the seasons changed, I changed.
As I studied God’s Word about the way I dressed, I found so much freedom and less condemnation. The scriptures used to keep me confined to the “should” and “should not” list, I found liberating as I put them into context.
Over time, I felt a stirring in my heart to wear less revealing, less tight-fitting clothing, and I found myself in skirts a little longer. Not because of a mandate from the church, but because the Lord will reveal to His children what He is calling them to wear for His glory. Everyone should live in that freedom. We can trust Him to speak to our hearts even in what we wear.
What is God calling you to wear in this season? Remember, true beauty comes from within, and our outward appearance should only enhance the light that shines from within us.
Shay is a style coach with a mission to help women look and feel their best! Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @shaygreenwood.
