Wednesday, October 08, 2008


A certain topic has come up twice in two days, and so I will put my thoughts about it here.
How much should we, that is, us women folk, put into our physical appearance? What does a God-fearing woman look like on the outside? Where does she shop? How often does she get her hair done? How much make-up? How often? On and on these questions can go. I think that the answer will be slightly different for different women because of their God-given gifts. And I don't mean their physical gifts. I mean that some women are artists and enjoy cultivating and decorating things that God has made. Which could include themselves. God made women to be prettier than men, and it's okay if some women want to enhance that a bit (or at least maintain it better than some of us).
But here' the nitty gritty of what I have to say: Two Rules.
1. Your body and grooming should allow you to do the things you like to do. (Possible exmaples: Walk up stairs, play with kids on the floor, ride horses, walk in the woods, etc.)
2. Your spouse should find you attractive.
That's about it.
Here's how that translates for me personally. I can do the things I like to do (pretty much the above examples) and Joe thinks I'm hot.
And now, one more point. Vanity. Vanity pretty much means "things that are pointless." And, um, curly girls who straighten their hair everyday? That's pointless. It's not getting straighter ladies. You're just frying your dead cells. That's gross. Anyway. Back to vanity. Consider the amount of time you must spend to maintain the image that you are currently trying to maintain. Does it equal the benefits you reap? Does the money you spend on your nails improve your life proportionately? And, here's one more thing about vanity. The things we do to improve our looks, does it positively affect those around us? And how long does it last from now? 10 years? 20 years? For the lucky (or rich) few, maybe 30 years? Eventually our faces fall off. There's nothing for it. But, the people around us who we've helped, or the ones for whom we have been a light in a dark world, or for those whom we've been Jesus' hands, feet, arms, or ears? Those deeds are eternal. God cares about that, not our nails or our hair or if our clothes. So keep yourself presentable, brush your teeth, keep your body odor down, and try not to look so scary that you can't be of any help to people. But remember what's important. What do you want on your tombstone? "Here lies a beautiful woman who had really good eyebrows, perfect nails, and always had a very fashionable shirt on her back?" or "Here lies a beautiful woman with caring hands, a gentle expression, and who gave me the shirt off her back"
Tell me what you think about this and how you find your balance on the subject.
XOXO
Joce

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said, Jocelyn!

Your post reminded me of two verses. And the Bible says it better than I can...

1 Peter 3:3-4
3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

and, Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

I think we should spend more time on what's inside rather than on what's outside. I do agree with you, though, that we need to take care of our bodies well enough to be able to do God's work for us and also not to scare people off!

Have a great day!
Steph

Pamela said...

Well said.

I have three rules, and the first two are the same as yours. Here's my third:

But there is no way I'm displaying all the shiny, silvery hair I have until I'm fifty.

Anonymous said...

Joce,

I clicked my way to your blog from Shaun's moose post on Joe's blog. I enjoyed this post very much. You sound like a smart and grounded person. Thanks for sharing. I believe I'm your father-in-law's first cousin. If Joe Rebisz is your F-I-L, then I'm sure of it.

By the way, if you're interested in farming and cows, check out my cousin's blog, Northview Diary, at http://northviewdiary.blogspot.com/

Marianne, the writer of that blog, is a cousin on my non-Rebisz side of the family. I enjoy her blog very much, and I think you might as well. And she might be able to help you find the perfect cow! :-)

Your first cousin once removed (by marriage),

Scott Montgomery

Anonymous said...

I agree! We need to become balanced in our lives. I do believe that there is a fine line of being presentable and being vane. I think we start to loose when vanity is the main focus in our life. We all have a fettish about something (sometimes about our looks, probably always), but try not to let it rule our lives. Sometimes our work needs us to be more presentable then others. Look at Prov. 31 women who bought fields and expensive material - I think she dressed the part to achieve those items. I believe she was balanced, no slacker there. Imagine what she would look like today.... meaning each of us has to fit the part, be it a teacher, a farmer, a checkout clerk, banker, accountant, etc. And being hot for our husband, too. So on that note, being a woman these days isn't easy! Especially with all that is thrown at us, more reason to be balanced, starting from the inside out.
Rory

Rebz said...

Hey all,
Thanks for these insightful comments. The scripture was just what I was thinking of, I also think gray hair should be held at bay until some more aged sounding number (like eighty or so, LOL), Scott, it's nice to meet you, I did check out that blog, and Rory, I like the reference to vocation as playing a role in how much time and energy you put into your appearance.
Gotta go watch Robots with the fam.
XOXO
Joce

Anonymous said...

I love this post Joce. It has a similar ring to my most recent post. You're a beautiful lady:)

About Me

About Me
I love Jesus, my hubby, my 6 kiddos, my farm, good books and good food.