put some clothes on (His daughter)

Now I know blogging about internet usage was pushing it.  If you don't want to read anything that may be personally upsetting, you don't have to read this.  

But there is a major issue that has been hitting home with me a lot lately in both cultures I'm a part of, and I've told the Lord several times now that "You KNOW I can't write about that!"

But after it came up again a few days ago, I prayed in bed Monday night that He would bring the issue into my life again if I should boldly speak out (well, write out), and yesterday I got my confirmations.  (Thanks, Sue and then Jen!)

Look.  We've got to start dressing differently. 

Now wait...hang with me!  I know this is annoying.  And I know it's coming from a woman who professed to be frumpy and out of style just a few days ago.  

I'm not talking about respecting yourself enough to dress respectfully, though I could.  I'm not talking about making sure the world knows you're set apart by dressing set apart, though I could.  And I'm not even talking about covering up so we don't cause our brothers and sisters to stumble, though I could.  

I'm talking about being bought with a price.  I'm talking about being a temple.

Yesterday, Lily and I had a heart-to-heart over lunch about why she should have cheese and grapes and turkey instead of chips and candy.  I realized as we talked that it's NOT because mommy says so, or because this organic/whole-foods kick America is on says so.  It's because Jesus lives in her.  

If Christ lives in us, and works through us, then we should eat well.  If our body is the house that He's given us as a gift, and it's actually HIS body, and the place where He dwells, then we have to take care of it.

"You were bought with a price: therefore, glorify God with your body." 1 Cor. 6:19.  

I mean, that's it.  Glorify God with your body.  It is a Biblical command...to BE glorifying.  We're here for His glory.  Not matter what else we're called to, that's a given.  We're called to give Him glory.  With our speech, yes, with our behavior, yes, with our appearance, yes.  

Maybe the way we dress is ok.  I'm sure it's not as bad as others.  

But can I sit where I am and say that my dress raises holy hands and radiates Glory to God ?

Can we sit where we are and say that about the way our daughters dress?  The words and images on our sons t-shirts?...becasuse God gave us our children for His glory, too.  

It's super-hard, because what I'm talking about (giving glory to God) is rarely IN.  I don't know where you live, but it's not IN where I am, and it's not IN where we are in Haiti.  If it's not in, not popular, then it's hard to do, because it's going against the grain when it's so much easier to go with the flow.

But Corinthians hits it again, "You were bought with a price: therefore, do not be slaves of men."  1 Cor. 7:22.  

Glorify God with your body.  Do not be slaves of men.  

Nor what they think.  Nor what they say.  Nor what they do.  Nor what they wear.  Nor what they tell you to wear.

I know there are a lot of really cute clothes out there that are really tight and really short and really strappy or really low.  I know because I see girls my own age, far older and far younger, wearing them.  To Church.  On His temple TO His temple.

If you want Christ to be the Lord of your life, or if you're parenting in a household that does, then "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom God has given you?  Do you not know that you are NOT your own?" (1 Cor. 6:19)

We are not our own!  We're not FOR us!  Revolutionary, friends. 

We're NOT our own.  That means we don't DECIDE what WE want to wear.  We don't decide how WE want to act.  We don't consider what WE want to do.  

We're not our own.  We are a temple...man, what a sacred image that immediately imparts.  If I'm His daughter, if I'm His son, if I'm raising one of His daughters or sons, then I'm a temple where the Holy Spirit of GOD resides.  

And that's all there is to it.  

Not about legalism, not about three more inches here and bring it up an inch there.  Not about in style or out of style.  Not about "Christian" dress.  Not about wearing what may literally be what E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E else is wearing or wearing what NO one is wearing.  

It's about giving Him glory.  

We don't "slip up" in how we dress.  Stop every time you head out the door.  Stop your kids every time they head out the door.  For His glory?  

Man, He's got so much work to do on me, let me tell you.  Most days, I feel like I need to tattoo "I AM FOR HIS GLORY" on my forehead just to keep reminding myself.  I'm SO bent on it being about me. 

But praise the Lord, it's not.  Praise the Lord, I'm not my own.  

I sincerely Praise the Lord, 'cause as much as I can act to the contrary, I don't WANT to be my own.  I WANT to have been bought with a price.  I want to be His.  I want to be for His glory.

And I want to make the commitment to dress like it.