How To Really Be In Style...

I love fashion.  I love clothes.  I love digging through sale and clearance racks and finding good deals on pieces to expand my wardrobe.  I love combining new items with pieces of clothing I've had for years to come up with new outfits.  I love coming up with modest and tasteful versions of trends (and totally believe you girls can do this too with some commitment and creativity). I love changing an outfit up with different accessories.  Fashion is fun, and fits my creative, likes-change-and-variety personality.  


I treated myself to an In Style magazine the other day...as much as I love cooking and fashion magazines, I try to resist always picking them up to save a few dollars on my grocery bill.  But it had been awhile since I had bought one and this issue had the 150 Best Beauty Buys, which is always a good consumer read.  


The same day I was going to try to carve out some time to sit in my green chair with my new mag, I was spending a few minutes with God when I came across this verse... Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."


I don't think God minds at all if we enjoy fashion or beauty or other fun things.  In fact, in the year before He used Queen Esther to save the Jewish nation, she received a year (yes, a year) of beauty treatments.  I've never even been to the spa for a full day, let alone a year!  The ultimate, virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 was described to be "clothed in fine linen and purple" - in other words, along with all her other amazing qualities, she was a well-dressed woman.


However, I do know that God wants us to care more about our character than our appearance.  I do know His desire is for us to first look like Him and reflect the beauty of His character. 


I still enjoyed my In Style magazine, like always.  But while getting fun fashion ideas, I also meditated on five words that I want to describe my character and that I want to put on before putting on my cute outfits...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  


Hoping and praying that you girls will add these five things to your wardrobe as well!


Because I Believe In You,
Jennifer