Ladies In Ministry: "What Not To Wear"

Ladies in Ministry – “What Not To Wear”

This post will not be on the subject of pants and bikinis. :D Read on.

As ladies in ministry, we will be looked upon firstly at what we are wearing.  It is important.  It is very important.  It is extremely important.

I will not go into the subject of modesty.  All I will say is modesty is our first and foremost command in what to wear by our Lord Jesus Christ.  As a Christian lady, everything we wear should be reviewed in our mind as if the Lord were to stand before us.

What I would like to encourage you today is “what to wear”. I’m sorry…I do not have a check list for you of what to wear to various functions.  (Even though I am infatuated with check lists. :) )  I would like to nudge you to create your own check list.  

Before doing so, here are my personal guidelines when deciding “what to wear” that may help.

1.  Is this appropriate for the occasion?    

For example:  I do not feel jean skirts are appropriate for a funeral service.  I do not feel pajamas are appropriate for a trip to Wal-Mart.  I don’t feel a t-shirt is appropriate for a job interview.  

I realize that the decadence of our society has not only declined in morals and lifestyles but very much so in dress as well.  I LOVE old TV shows like Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith and Father Knows Best where the wives were so beautiful, stylish and proper.  They created a wonderful atmosphere in their home by simply dressing up.  I recently saw a FB post that said, “Home: Where I can look ugly and enjoy it.”  No, no, no!  How sad.  

I had a college teacher of a cooking class that told us she would use real tablecloths and real napkins for every dinner – even when it was just their family.  She wanted her children to know that the special things were just not reserved for the “special” guests.  They were for them because they were special.

What a great thought to adapt to our home life?  Dress up to do your house work and laundry.  Why?  You have a husband and children that are special and they deserve to see a wife and mom that takes the effort to show them they are worth you looking your best.

2.  Find out what others will be wearing and go at least ONE step higher.  Never make your clothing choices based on what everyone else is wearing.  Just because something is acceptable doesn’t mean you should wear it.

A personal preference:  I don’t wear flip flops in the summer and Ugg boots in the winter to church services.  It is not wrong – I simply have chosen to take my dress a step higher than others around me.  I feel those are too casual for a church service and honestly, God deserves us to look our best when we are in His house.  Dress is a sign of respect to others around you.

This past Thanksgiving, my husband asked me, “Why is everyone dressed up?”  (The girls and I were simply wearing nice semi dressy outfits for the holiday.)  I replied, “My standard of what I wear is not based on what everyone else will be wearing.  It is based on what my standard is for the occasion.”

3.  Someone is watching me.  You better know a lot of someones watch their pastor’s wife.  And someone is watching you.  To someone, you will become the model of what a Christian lady is in her appearance. They will not have their own standard so you have become theirs.  Be a model for Christ.

I was telling someone about my oldest daughter recently. She loves to dress stylish and coordinate cute outfits down to the shoes and jewelry.  Every day…just at home…when she will only be home schooling.  That person replied that she has learned that from me simply by observation.  It may be your daughter, a teen girl in the youth group, or a lady in the church.  Someone is watching you.

Why do you not take care in your appearance?  Self-worth. You do not need to find your self-worth from somewhere or someone else.  You will find it in yourself.  Dress well, put on make-up and style your hair…every day.  Yes, your kids will ask where you are going when they see you putting on make-up.  I promise...do this every day and then tell me honestly that you don’t feel better about yourself.  Cause you will be lying.

What not to wear?  Time for you to decide.