The more I walk this thing out, the more I realize God can use anything to reveal Himself.
It's sorta like 6 degrees of separation, only instead of Kevin Beacon, it's Jesus... and it only takes 1 degree.
A couple weeks ago, I was invited to a patio where several of the girls were hanging out. As girls do, they were gossiping and tattling on each other about the "sinful" things the others were doing.
"Stacey keeps dancing."
"Is dancing a bad thing?" I asked.
"Yes, it's a sin."
"You know, the Bible says David danced. He wasn't sinning when he danced. I love to dance. When is it ok to dance?"
"When it's for God."
"Exactly. I think it's ok to even dance to be silly and to just have fun. But when is it not ok?"
Stacey began dancing, unashamedly, so I could see what they were talking about.
"What are you trying to do when you dance like that?" I pointedly asked.
The girls shrugged their shoulders as if in ignorance, but knowing well the intent of such movements.
"When you move your body like that, you're calling the attention of men. Did God create your body to be used like that? Our bodies are to be used to do good things for God."
The girls lost interest after this statement and we began talking about something else. Stacey came to sit beside me and then pointed out my pink toe nail polish.
"It's a sin to paint your toe nails," she righteously said to place the attention on my sinfulness.
"Really?... Where in the bible does it say that?" I asked.
"Really..."
"You show me where and I'll read it."
She got up and asked her sister where it was in scripture. Stacey returned with her sister Adriana who gave me a bible turned to Isaiah 3:16 and began reading it.
I had to go to my car and get my English bible so I fully understood the words being spoken. Stacey was reading each word intently, explaining to me that when it says, "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks," that means we can't wear necklaces, and when it says, "glancing wantonly with their eyes," that means no eye makeup, and when it says, "tinkling with their feet," this means no anklets.
Little did she know, the words she was reading actually supported what I had shared before about dancing seductively for the attention of men. Mind you, nothing about nail polish...
THEN she began reading verses 18-26...
"See, God doesn't want us to have those things. If we do, we'll go to hell." Stacey said proudly, thinking she had me caught.
I decided to have a little fun. "Oh no... Do you use headbands? Perfume? Rings? Purses? Mirrors?"
"Yes." Panic began to sink in.
"Well, then... if you use this scripture, that means you're sinning."
I wish you could have seen these girls' faces! I didn't leave them in that state long, though. We examined the scripture, why it was written, why God was speaking to the daughters of Zion, and why God decided to take away everything in which they placed their beauty and identity.
We also went back to verse 16 and discussed that the daughters of Zion weren't necessarily wearing necklaces and make-up, but were walking around pridefully and looking at the men with sexual desire. These women were using their beauty to control men, not to glorify God.
Sitting there with the girls, I felt prompted to ask the question, "How do we get to heaven then?"
"By being good, obeying our parents, not using bad words..."
"Nope."
Stacey stopped and looked at me, compelled to find the right answer.
"By going to church, loving God, doing good things..."
"And..."
"And praying and worshiping..."
"And...you can do all these things and STILL not get into heaven."
"and... what else?!" Stacey was stumped and the other girls had stopped what they were doing and listened.
"You know the answer... what does John 3:16 say?"
They immediately recited this verse from memory and then led right into John 14:6.
"...Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him."
"So, how do we get to heaven?"
"JESUS!" They all exclaimed.
"Right! There are people who obey their parents, go to church, do good things, don't say bad words, but they wont go to heaven unless they've given their heart to Jesus. He is the only way."
It's that easy... why do we make it so hard? Oh beloved, He loves you with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3)
Unfortunately, the girls most likely heard a message from Isaiah 3 about the way women should present themselves. All I can do is pray that Jesus reveals Himself through His Spirit at work through me and in His church, shining light on false doctrine. I am very cautious to not be a stumbling block in this culture and realize many in the church here have legalistic and religious mindsets, but I'm so glad I left my nail polish on that day.
Hot pink toe nail polish. Who knew?
He never ceases to amaze me.
It's sorta like 6 degrees of separation, only instead of Kevin Beacon, it's Jesus... and it only takes 1 degree.
A couple weeks ago, I was invited to a patio where several of the girls were hanging out. As girls do, they were gossiping and tattling on each other about the "sinful" things the others were doing.
"Stacey keeps dancing."
"Is dancing a bad thing?" I asked.
"Yes, it's a sin."
"You know, the Bible says David danced. He wasn't sinning when he danced. I love to dance. When is it ok to dance?"
"When it's for God."
"Exactly. I think it's ok to even dance to be silly and to just have fun. But when is it not ok?"
Stacey began dancing, unashamedly, so I could see what they were talking about.
"What are you trying to do when you dance like that?" I pointedly asked.
The girls shrugged their shoulders as if in ignorance, but knowing well the intent of such movements.
"When you move your body like that, you're calling the attention of men. Did God create your body to be used like that? Our bodies are to be used to do good things for God."
The girls lost interest after this statement and we began talking about something else. Stacey came to sit beside me and then pointed out my pink toe nail polish.
"It's a sin to paint your toe nails," she righteously said to place the attention on my sinfulness.
"Really?... Where in the bible does it say that?" I asked.
"Really..."
"You show me where and I'll read it."
She got up and asked her sister where it was in scripture. Stacey returned with her sister Adriana who gave me a bible turned to Isaiah 3:16 and began reading it.
I had to go to my car and get my English bible so I fully understood the words being spoken. Stacey was reading each word intently, explaining to me that when it says, "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks," that means we can't wear necklaces, and when it says, "glancing wantonly with their eyes," that means no eye makeup, and when it says, "tinkling with their feet," this means no anklets.
Little did she know, the words she was reading actually supported what I had shared before about dancing seductively for the attention of men. Mind you, nothing about nail polish...
THEN she began reading verses 18-26...
"In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents, the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves, the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets, the signet rings and nose rings, the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags, the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground."
"See, God doesn't want us to have those things. If we do, we'll go to hell." Stacey said proudly, thinking she had me caught.
I decided to have a little fun. "Oh no... Do you use headbands? Perfume? Rings? Purses? Mirrors?"
"Yes." Panic began to sink in.
"Well, then... if you use this scripture, that means you're sinning."
I wish you could have seen these girls' faces! I didn't leave them in that state long, though. We examined the scripture, why it was written, why God was speaking to the daughters of Zion, and why God decided to take away everything in which they placed their beauty and identity.
We also went back to verse 16 and discussed that the daughters of Zion weren't necessarily wearing necklaces and make-up, but were walking around pridefully and looking at the men with sexual desire. These women were using their beauty to control men, not to glorify God.
Sitting there with the girls, I felt prompted to ask the question, "How do we get to heaven then?"
"By being good, obeying our parents, not using bad words..."
"Nope."
Stacey stopped and looked at me, compelled to find the right answer.
"By going to church, loving God, doing good things..."
"And..."
"And praying and worshiping..."
"And...you can do all these things and STILL not get into heaven."
"and... what else?!" Stacey was stumped and the other girls had stopped what they were doing and listened.
"You know the answer... what does John 3:16 say?"
They immediately recited this verse from memory and then led right into John 14:6.
"...Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him."
"So, how do we get to heaven?"
"JESUS!" They all exclaimed.
"Right! There are people who obey their parents, go to church, do good things, don't say bad words, but they wont go to heaven unless they've given their heart to Jesus. He is the only way."
It's that easy... why do we make it so hard? Oh beloved, He loves you with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3)
Unfortunately, the girls most likely heard a message from Isaiah 3 about the way women should present themselves. All I can do is pray that Jesus reveals Himself through His Spirit at work through me and in His church, shining light on false doctrine. I am very cautious to not be a stumbling block in this culture and realize many in the church here have legalistic and religious mindsets, but I'm so glad I left my nail polish on that day.
Hot pink toe nail polish. Who knew?
He never ceases to amaze me.
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