Praying while staying fashionably humble

Time to announce the winner of Shari's book "If Clothes Could Talk." Random generator produced comment #5 - Wendy. Here are your random numbers: 5 Timestamp: 2009-03-14 16:11:37 UTC So Wendy, email me at rachel@proverbs31.org with your address.

If you weren't the winner but want a copy, go to Shari's site and you can buy it for for $15. She also has it available for $12 in an E-book form you can instantly download.

Sheena, I'll ask Shari what she thinks about your shoe dilemma and let you know. I love that Cyndi asked if anyone lived in her area of Oregon so that they could go shopping together - that's terrific.

I went shopping with a good friend this week who is starting a new job as a teller in a bank. They have a strict dress code, which they made her sign 3 different times last week! One of the more surprising things it stated was that she must wear underwear and all undergarments at all times. Um, what has the world of banking come to?


I felt slightly ADD the past couple weeks keeping two different topics going here: prayer and clothes. (Anne, I plan to answer your how-do-I-stay-still-to-pray question next week.) So this morning it made me feel a little less ADD when I read this passage by Paul in 1 Timothy 2 that talks about both:

1-3, The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

4-7, He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

8-10, Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. (The Message)

I think humility is the key here. It's not that we should never look in a mirror to brush our hair, or never wear something stylish. And it's not that there is anything wrong with beauty, but rather that God never intended our beauty to be skin deep. I think Paul's point is that humility (and prayer) needs to underlay all that we do, including how we present ourselves. I think that should be added to the bank's dress code.

Finally, Jill you asked for a link to my upcoming speaking engagements. Click here or the tab at the top of this page that says "Where I'll be." I think I've got that updated at least through this summer. BTW, this is the weekend I speak at my home church, along with my pastor, on the subject of lust. So you can bet that today I am praying ... and trying to decide what to wear. Any words of advice? Or prayer? Where is Shari when I need her?!