heidi-half-head-hippy1A while back, I ministered at the BASIC College Ministries Conference to the women.  The kids and I tagged along with my husband’s band, Isaiah Six, who was leading worship for the event.  I had planned on going anyway to tag along with my husband (his band Isaiah Six was leading worship), just to be around Daddy, knowing that it was a busy time for him.  Funny thing, just before the event, I got a call from Kent Murawski, the director, and he said the speaker for the women had to back out, and he wondered if I would do the session.  Derek basically told me I was doing it…I am never one to jump at those kind of things.  But in my heart I knew it was God, so I said ok.  So, I went, knowing that the Lord put me up to it. :)

Kent asked me to share about purity, modesty, etc.  So I threw some thoughts and scriptures down in my trusty green notebook, and Derek helped me to organize it all…here are some snippits from it.

When we truly understand our Father’s love for us, and have a true picture of how He views us, we can walk in complete security and confidence in this life, regardless of our upbringing.  And when that revelation sinks deep into our hearts, it will affect us internally, and then externally.

His love will transform us internally…all of the former devices, so to speak, that have developed over time that try to fill that need for love and acceptance, will melt away by the work of His Spirit as we surrender to Him.  If we “awaken love before it’s time” (Song of Songs 3:5), or let the love for a man become our main focus before it is God’s time, our devotion to Christ gets interrupted.  We must surrender this part of our lives to Him…in that place of surrender is where the Spirit works.  As we believe how loved we are, our love for Christ will produce that hidden beauty of the heart that Peter speaks of in I Peter 3:3,4.

“And let not your adornment be merely external-braiding of the hair, and wearing gold jewelry and putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”

Knowing His grace and love will change us externally…Our culture has conditioned us from childhood to focus on beauty and romance.  Come on, think about it…have you ever seen an ugly or overweight Disney princess?  And everyone of those tiny-waisted, long-legged girls “find their prince” and live happily ever after.  It is everywhere we look…” if you look like this, you will get a guy like this, and you will be happy.”  Derek and I have very intentionally warned our three girls of this trap.  We want them to be secure because of who they are in Christ, not because they have a pretty face or the right clothes.  SO, if we should not imitate our culture which worships beauty and romance, how do we dress?  Like women in bible times?  Is it time to bust out the drapery and face cloths?  No, but the word says modesty is becoming to a woman of faith.

As we decide what to wear, we should be aware of two things.  First, avoid vanity.  The reference to braided hair and gold jewelry speaks in Bible times of those in royalty, or those in harlotry.   Royalty dressed this way to be vain…to flaunt their wealth and position.  This is obviously a sinful attitude.


Second, the reason for the harlot to dress this way was to allure men.  We as women of faith should never desire to cause our brothers (or unbelieving men for that matter) to stumble over our appearance.  Yet, this is an extremely common way of living for women.  “What can I do to get that second look?”   We need to ask the Lord to help cleanse us of  the contamination of our culture, and to truly desire to please Him first.  And that will cause us to  be the most beautiful women on the planet.

I saw this quote on a sister’s myspace, and I thought it was the perfect summary.

“A woman’s heart should be so lost in God, that a man needs to seek God to find her.”