women/girls wearing makeup

i am 16 year old girl that would like to know if wearing makeup is bad. i never know what to do and how to look at...opinions...and help?
i have always wanted to ask people that have a close relationship with Christ so that i will bring glory to God with what i do in big and small things.

Thank you

Hello rbetty,

Years before I was saved I stopped using makeup. It was after reading a book that detailed how animals are used in testing for eye makeup and hair dyes. I won't go into detail here but it is beyond cruel. It is truly unthinkable. How could I possibly justify my vanity in light of such acts.

I was not just a casual user, either. I had been painting my face for at least 15 years. It is so unnecessary, too. Now that I look back. Not one man that I ever attracted through the use of make-up was worth the price those animals paid. I was wearing make-up when I met my husband but it was my not painted face that won his heart.

Beauty is only skin deep, especially if it is painted on.

Excuse me for rambling, it is late and I am running down. If you want to talk further I would be glad to PM with you. I don't know if this is terribly edifying to the forum at large. There are many scriptures that caution against painting your face and adorning yourself with tatoo's and plaited hair. Maybe, I will have time to look them up for you tomorrow. Right now, I have to wash a sink full of dishes.

Kind regards,
white stone (janice)

Hello rbetty,

The Lord has given you your own special beauty. It is a beauty that originates from inside of you that can shine forth for all of the world to see.

Unfortunately, there are many people in the world that want to make money, and one of the ways to do this is to tell you that the way that God made you in not good enough - that you need to do, or have certain things, to make you beautiful.

This is done primarily through television, magazines and now the internet. If you watch closely, you will see that what is considered to be beautiful this year will be different next year. They do this on purpose so that we keep buying "new" things so that they can make more money.

One of the problems with this is that when we agree with what other people say is beautiful, we are in essence telling God we do not think that what He made is good enough.

With man's way (outward beauty) we will never really be beautiful because there will always be something more to do. With God's way (inner beauty) we will have a beauty that will never fade.

Hi little sister...

I am a guy, so I can speak by experience: You don't need makeup to be beautiful. My wife doesn't really wear makeup (not much -- if any -- that I know of)...and she is the most beautiful woman that I know (on the inside and outside). We have been married for over a year now...and I think that she is just as beautiful in the morning when she just wakes up as she is in the afternoon (showered, dressed and home from her teaching job). I do my best to tell her this just to let her know how I feel. Her outside beauty is enhance in my eyes by the inner beauty that shines so brightly.

I don't know if makeup is right or wrong...or how much is wrong if some can be right. Sermonindex (Greg) provided a link to some great messages regarding such things. I would also recommend a great deal of prayer about this. If you don't feel right about it...then don't wear it...because you need to have a clear conscience before God. If you feel the liberty to wear it, then do as your conscience dictates as you direct your heart, mind, soul and strength with real Biblical modesty toward God.

I will be praying for you as you seek God's direction in this. Be encouraged, though, because you are not alone. Regardless of what you look like on the outside, you are still the apple of God's eye and the center of His attention.

:-)

Hi rbetty,

One more thing to consider is the possible dangers of cosmetics. Here is a website that will give you some information on the matter.

http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

From what I have observed, almost anytime we try to alter what the Lord has made us to be, there are harmful side effects.

If you don't feel right about it...then don't wear it...because you need to have a clear conscience before God. If you feel the liberty to wear it, then do as your conscience dictates as you direct your heart, mind, soul and strength with real Biblical modesty toward God.

When God gives the light, it is a perfectly timed revelation, and an inner transformation is wrought where the believer [i]wants[/i] to obey; but when man gives the light, it is not always guaranteed that God will put authority behind it. As result, it can come off as a usurpation, as a legality and yet another taboo in the long list of "do's and don'ts" that, more often than not, engender rebellion toward the very thing that is being proscribed.

For the record, my wife is very beautiful and doesn't need make-up, but she will from time-to-time put on a bit of blush and lip gloss. She will also wash her hair with a fragrant shampoo she knows I love. I also use a body wash and deodorant I know she likes. We please each other in these things, and our consciences remain clean before God (no pun intended). It would be a travesty on God's grace for a person to clumsily barge into our relationship and begin pointing a finger of personal conviction at matters of our own business - matters that we are sanctioned by God to perform with a clean conscience.

Hello sister,

It warms my heart that you are here ... I could not echo Paul's comments here more fully - It is a very delicate and personal matter that I could not be more careful nor choose my words even more so. There is every possibility that some may, intentionally or not, bring you into a mindset of bondage or legalism over such a matter.

You only need to follow as the Lord leads you, as your conscience directs and as you pray. These things have a way of settling themselves out as you concentrate on more important and internal matters.

The verses that immediately jumped to mind;

[i]Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.[/i] 1Pe 3:3,4

And some commentary from Matthew Henry;

(4.) In preferring the ornaments of the mind to those of the body.

[1.] He lays down a rule in regard to the dress of religious women, 1Pe_3:3. Here are three sorts of ornaments forbidden: plaiting of hair, which was commonly used in those times by lewd women; wearing of gold, or ornaments made of gold, was practised by Rebecca, and Esther, and other religious women, but afterwards became the attire chiefly of harlots and wicked people; putting on of apparel, which is not absolutely forbidden, but only too much nicety and costliness in it. Learn, First, Religious people should take care that all their external behaviour be answerable to their profession of Christianity: They must be holy in all manner of conversation. Secondly, The outward adorning of the body is very often sensual and excessive; for instance, when it is immoderate, and above your degree and station in the world, when you are proud of it and puffed up with it, when you dress with design to allure and tempt others, when your apparel is too rich, curious, or superfluous, when your fashions are fantastical, imitating the levity and vanity of the worst people, and when they are immodest and wanton. The attire of a harlot can never become a chaste Christian matron.

[2.] Instead of the outward adorning of the body, he directs Christian wives to put on much more excellent and beautiful ornaments, v. 4. Here note, First, The part to be adorned: The hidden man of the heart; that is, the soul; the hidden, the inner man. Take care to adorn and beautify your souls rather than your bodies. Secondly, The ornament prescribed. It must, in general, be something not corruptible, that beautifies the soul, that is, the graces and virtues of God's Holy Spirit. The ornaments of the body are destroyed by the moth, and perish in the using; but the grace of God, the longer we wear it, the brighter and better it is. More especially, the finest ornament of Christian women is a meek and quiet spirit, a tractable easy temper of mind, void of passion, pride, and immoderate anger, discovering itself in a quiet obliging behaviour towards their husbands and families. If the husband be harsh, and averse to religion (which was the case of these good wives to whom the apostle gives this direction), there is no way so likely to win him as a prudent meek behaviour. At least, a quiet spirit will make a good woman easy to herself, which, being visible to others, becomes an amiable ornament to a person in the eyes of the world. Thirdly, The excellency of it. Meekness and calmness of spirit are, in the sight of God, of great price - amiable in the sight of men, and precious in the sight of God. Learn,

1. A true Christian's chief care lies in the right ordering and commanding of his own spirit. Where the hypocrite's work ends, there the true Christian's work begins.

2. The endowments of the inner man are the chief ornaments of a Christian; but especially a composed, calm, and quiet spirit, renders either man or woman beautiful and lovely.

Matthew Henry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Too much", "Excessive", "Immoderate", and so forth - I guess I am afraid that might beg the question, 'how much is too much?' - I would again appeal back to our brother Paul's words and maybe add something of a twist on it all, personally.

I am quite a bit older and even at this advanced age still keep my 'longish' hair. It fits my head and alternately, it doesn't when it it is cut too short. It's an unruly beast and strangely looks more 'girly' when it is somewhere in-between, curling up on the ends, all kinds of strange behavior. It's either a crew cut or the more natural length that it dictates on it's own. The former would and often did just the opposite - Made me feel to be someone I am not - Kind of like wearing a three piece suit to a plumbing job. I think there is a key factor in this that some religious fascinations can impress on people, that it puts you out of place, not of conviction but of squaring up to perceptions and expectations of others. If you are doing these things for those reasons and are not comfortable with your own being, no one is the richer for it.

Any number of things are similar - Where a brother is quite comfortable wearing a Cardigan sweater, I would be a fraud to don one. For Krispy (one of our brothers here) to forgo his "High and tight" military-ish hair-cut for something closer to my ... Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Barry Manilow, Steve Perry, styled coiffe - (As I am so often asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like ________ ) - I am sure would be just as fraudulent.

Some levity, but truth. It's the interior sister, there are some great lines from Matthew Henry above;

[i]A true Christian's chief care lies in the right ordering and commanding of his own spirit.[/i]

[i]Take care to adorn and beautify your souls rather than your bodies.[/i]

[i]Meekness and calmness of spirit are, in the sight of God, of great price - amiable in the sight of men, and precious in the sight of God.[/i]

Pray I haven't over spoken here. A very dear sister that I would appeal to has some good articles that you might be interested in; [url=http://www.moreofhim.net/index.html]More Of Him[/url] and has a daughter somewhat closer to your age, I believe she has a blog as well, just unable to track it at the moment.

We have to be very careful when offering absolutes on non salvific matters, for the hills in this land are known for their slippery slopes.

Your are correct in much of what you have said, but there are other things to be considered.

Many here on SermonIndex must come from a background where the "law" was used as a weapon against them. I, however, came from a background where no one bothered to tell me of these things. While I was headed into danger, I was judged behind my back, but not warned. The result has been that I have done much damage that might have been averted had I but only been warned.

This reminds me of the mudflats around Anchorage Alaska. Not knowing the dangers, many an unsuspecting tourist has wandered out onto this beautiful expanse of mud - only to find themselves stuck and unable to extract themselves. Some have even died as the tide came in and they drowned.

When others come to me and ask me what I know on a matter, I tell them what the Lord has shown me. It is then between them and God. It is much easier to never start something, than it is to unlearn it.

I am sure that the people that end up stuck in the mud initially only step off of the shore to see what the mud is like. They are then drawn further and further away from safety before they become stuck. It is only when the tide begins to come in that they realize the true danger.

We need to warn others of the danger as they step off of the shore - before they become stuck. To tell them that it is o.k., but just don't go too far doesn't make sense, for how does one determine when they have crossed the line into the danger zone?

If we see someone out wandering around on the mud, we also need to warn them. How can one keep a clean conscience in knowing the danger and not sounding the alarm?

When someone has become stuck, we need to help them out of the mud before the tide comes in. To just sit and judge them, but not help, would be the equivalent of murder. However, to know of the danger and never to have warned would be the same.

EDIT: Here is some information on the mudflats.

http://seagrant.uaf.edu/features/earthquake/hazards5.html

Hello :)

I am the one with the daughter -who Mike was refering to. She is now 19. Feel free to email her at arielle.elise@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.xanga.com/arielleelise . She is a very special daughter with a heart for the Lord and for the lost (and yes she does wear some makeup :)

This is a subject that you must take to the Lord for yourself. To be sure, it's not a 'salvation' issue- so no worries there. I think it's wonderful that you want to please the Lord in all areas of your life.

In my own life, I do choose to wear some makeup- not alot. My daughter also does the same. I guess you could say we like to 'enhance' our natural beauty :) Please don't feel condemned if you choose to wear some makeup when you feel it is appropriate. But if you feel strongly at some point that the Lord does not want you to wear it- then don't. It's that simple :)

Blessings to you, Chanin

Hi Laura,

When others come to me and ask me what I know on a matter, I tell them what the Lord has shown me.

Well, I have learnt a few things since then. I have learnt to leave the small stuff to God: tatoos, make-up, music, dancing, T.V., video games, mousse in the hair, jewelry, etc., for these are things that God does microsurgery on as the child grows and progesses to higher levels in His academy. Some of them (in fact, most) fall off completely in time; others are "tweaked" as God tempers the heart. It is not your place nor mine to forbid anyone in God's Name from putting on make-up. When you do this, you deprive the Holy Ghost of His rightful position and impose your own stalwart rules on another. It is much better to point the believer to God, asking, "at 16, why do you feel the need to put on make-up?"

Now, As a grown man, and a loving husband, I can say that I am stunned when my wife puts on a tiny bit of blush, and dresses nice when we go out. I know she does it for me, and my heart skips a beat when I look upon her beauty. Yes, I take much pleasure in the wife of my youth, and we can enjoy each other with clear consciences. Your imposing convictions on mascara would bring instant condemnation into our relationship, if it were the one-size-fits-all instruction as you claim.

Please don't take my challenge the wrong way :)

Brother Paul

Brother Paul,

I am not taking your challenge the wrong way - in fact I appreciate being able to talk around this as some of the things that I see causes me great distress and I want to learn how to "warn" without "judging."

It is not your place nor mine to forbid anyone in God's Name from putting on make-up.

Your imposing convictions on mascara . . .

I am certain that the beauty that your wife possesses has nothing to do with her make up or her clothing, but when you include both in your comments, you tie them together and it sounds as if they do. Is it possible that your reaction is promoting the fact that she wears any make up at all? Or how fancy her clothes are?

The danger is that we are relying on external sources to establish value, which leaves us open to the influence of the enemy. I am sure that the Lord loves the fact that you take delight in each other - but it certainly can't be her make up or her clothing that you love - it is her heart, which shines forth through her eyes, and makes her glow from the inside out. Her external beauty will one day fade, but no one, and nothing, can ever take away the glow that comes from the love of the Lord. It is in Him that all of our value must be established.

When I was younger in the Lord, I preached vehemently against television, sports, against any and all things that I felt were obstacles in a believer's trek to personal holiness

I know a pastor who I deeply respect who calls these things like styles of music, clothing, make-up, hairstyles, etc.... PREFERENCES. And that's mostly just what they are- preferences. Everyone has their 'preference' when it comes to styles of music, styles of hair, clothing style, make-up/no makeup, liking sports,etc....

These are not 'salvation' issues. Why make a big deal about them when they don't effect someone's salvation. Let each be convicted by the Holy Spirit about these preferences. I would rather major on the majors, not the minors. 'Pick your battles'-so to speak :)

Forbearance is a good thing to grow in! :)

In His love, Chanin

Greetings Chanin

Not sure I agree fully with what you wrote about clothing, hairstyles, and makeup just being a preference. I think we need to be very careful and examine our hearts daily to know what the Fathers heart is for us in these areas. Especially in the area of clothing, so much of it today is inappropriate and immodest that it makes it very difficult on young men who love the Lord. My three older boys will not even go to the stores in the summertime anymore unless its very earily in the morning. So many women and young girls barely dressed that it becomes a real problem for them. Even with young women who profess to be walking with the Lord and wear some of the revealing clothing and heavy make up will tell you that its just a preferences and that they like dressing that way. They give no regard to their brothers in Christ or the temptation that they are causing. So in some cases the way some one chooses to dress and exhibit them self can become a sin issue for another.

Anyway just my thoughts.

God Bless
MJ

Hi Laura,

I did not think I was doing this - can you show me what it is that I said that sounds like this?

Sorry, I did not mean you were doing this. Forbid was probably a bad word choice. I apologize.

I am certain that the beauty that your wife possesses has nothing to do with her make up or her clothing, but when you include both in your comments, you tie them together and it sounds as if they do. Is it possible that your reaction is promoting the fact that she wears any make up at all? Or how fancy her clothes are?

Brother Paul

Dear MaryJane,

Just as I was preparing to reply to Chanin you popped in with [i]my reply[/i].

If my [b][size=x-small][color=CC3300][font=Georgia]preferences [/font][/color][/size][/b] disturb another Saint in their walk, it is no longer just a preference - is it? It has become a stumbling block.

I know in my first reply I started with how I could not reconcile my vanity with the torture of helpless animals. In a way, doesn't the wearing of the popular teenage style of makeup (to look more like a raccoon or a harlot) that causes young men to sin, akin with torturing innocent animals?

If you objectively look at it, wearing makeup is an effort to be something you are not. Perhaps you should examine what you do want to be first.

To avoid causing anyone a problem, in the case of married couples going out for an evening, I am certain they have examined their motives. I am speaking to a 16 year old young woman. I know at 16, no one ever spoke to me about considering what my motives were OR about the consequences of my actions.

You see, at 16, wearing make-up is mor than a 'preference.' It is a statement. Dear rbetty, please consider why you feel you need makeup, or want it. Believe me, it will not change anything except how the boys at school think of you. You really don't want their attention if it is for the wrong reason. You might think you do but nothing is as it seems it will be.

Kindest regards,
white stone

Kindest regards,
white stone

MaryJane wrote:
Greetings Chanin

Not sure I agree fully with what you wrote about clothing, hairstyles, and makeup just being a preference. I think we need to be very careful and examine our hearts daily to know what the Fathers heart is for us in these areas. Especially in the area of clothing, so much of it today is inappropriate and immodest that it makes it very difficult on young men who love the Lord. My three older boys will not even go to the stores in the summertime anymore unless its very earily in the morning. So many women and young girls barely dressed that it becomes a real problem for them. Even with young women who profess to be walking with the Lord and wear some of the revealing clothing and heavy make up will tell you that its just a preferences and that they like dressing that way. They give no regard to their brothers in Christ or the temptation that they are causing. So in some cases the way some one chooses to dress and exhibit them self can become a sin issue for another.

Anyway just my thoughts.

God Bless
MJ

Not at all, sister. The clothes and blush simply accentuate her natural beauty, they enhance. This is a thread about make-up, and cosmetics, which is why I mentioned them. They are contributors to the aesthetical factor in human beings. In my very first post, if you remember, I said that my wife doesn't need make-up or fancy clothes to look beautiful - and I am well aware that these are products of vanity, they are of the earth. Her true beauty, to me, transcends the mere physical, and this I have come to cherish and adore above all else.

You are right of course. Let me try saying it a different way.

When you said:

It is much better to point the believer to God, asking, "at 16, why do you feel the need to put on make-up?"

Now, As a grown man, and a loving husband, I can say that I am stunned when my wife puts on a tiny bit of blush, and dresses nice when we go out.

This is not really my point either - I think I am starting to sound nit-picky (am I?). While we must take care not to be judgmental of others, we must take equal care not to justify away what the Lord may be desirous of having another do - for it is quite possible that we are in error, or that what is acceptable for us, may not be acceptable for another.

Do you not think that a 16 year old (or almost any woman) might get the idea that men love it when they wear make up. I know that it is not what you intended to say, and that you clarified it other places, but do you see that they might tend to focus on that one statement?

That is all that matters - but for some, it is not sufficient. If that were all that was offered as a response, I wouldn't have felt a need to contribute to this topic. I think she deserves to hear it from another side, from the side of grace and sensitivity. Wearing make-up is not an anathema, neither is wearing nice clothes or doing your hair up. It's all about the motive. The precious spikenard poured on the Lord's head raised legalistic vituperations from the observers, but, again, He brought it back to [i]motive[/i], and the woman was gloriously vindicated.

I have learnt to direct people to the same Lord when it comes to issues like this. "Should I wear make-up?" Well, it depends. What are your motives for putting on make-up? "Should I wear this dress?" Well, it depends. What are your motives for wearing this dress? "Shall I pour out this costly fragrance?" Well, it depends. What are your motives? To glorify Christ? To please your husband? Can you do it and yet your heart remain undefiled?

This is not really my point either - I think I am starting to sound nit-picky (am I?).

In fact, you've been really nice and you bring up valid points. I can only hope that my behavior is the same!

Happy New year,

Paul

In fact, you've been really nice and you bring up valid points. I can only hope that my behavior is the same!

Happy New year to you also.