Face Paint - MakeUp

[a mere housewife]

I wear makeup. I do so as others have cited because I am made self conscious by being told I don't look physically very well, because I am more self conscious sticking out than blending in, and because I find nothing immoral in trying to look nice. Scripture clearly teaches that physical beauty is worth nothing divorced from spiritual beauty, but it does not teach that physical beauty is therefore nothing at all or that it is evil. It isn't the jewelry that is heinous in the proverb but that it's adorning a pig. Beauty is not some negligible afterthought that somehow made it into an already perfect world, and I don't see the desire to reflect the beauty and glory of God along with the rest of creation as the desire of Jezebel. I used to feel guilty for curling my hair under so it didn't stick out -- but then realized that Scripture cites a woman's hair as her 'glory'. It doesn't there cite her inward, but her physical beauty as something that she and her husband at most times legitimately glory in. There is also that bit about the virtuous women wearing rather unnecessarily becoming colors which took a good amount of unnecessary time and money to weave, dye, etc. I no longer feel guilty for spending a few minutes to put on makeup or curl my hair. Indeed the most godly women I have known (in our work in Mexico City), poor in many other ways and rich in good works as they were, always took some care to try to look pretty (and they succeeded). I find nowhere in the commandments that makeup or prettiness is immoral and I don't understand the logic that would have me value in God's goodness the natural beauty of the earth, the pleasing beauty of a well decorated room, the sensible beauty of a piece of china or poetry, and suddenly find physical beauty in women to be the special territory of Jezebel.

I also wanted to comment that I submit to my own husband in this. It is not only an area that the moral law doesn't so definitively as the post was presented, address; but an area in which any women who is genuinely trying to adorn herself inwardly must submit to her own husband --- not any other man, church father or puritan or whomever. All of the women here are doing just that, whether they wear makeup or not, and I am honored to be in any company with them. Perhaps as I grow in grace I will stop wearing makeup, I don't know: I don't think my husband terribly deficient in grace (and I suppose if there is one way to make me want to strangle someone with a tie it would be a suggestion that I ought to think he is), and he hasn't asked me to stop wearing it for his conscience' sake so I'm not going to preoccupy myself about it. There are more significant adornments for me to preoccupy myself about. For now though I am deficient in many things and wear makeup toboot I can say by God's grace I'm not Jezebel. She tried to dominate her husband. I try (and often fail, but am still trying very hard) to submit to mine. I know that is true of the other women here, and of all the wives of men here who are striving to be pleasing to their own husbands in all these things.

[edit: that about strangling people with a tie was humorous -- I didn't mean any personal offense to anyone: I don't have icons turned on so can't see who's wearing ties and who isn't.
Also, re: the difference between women and men in adorning themselves: I think Scripture assumes that difference in pointing out that nature assumes it: men don't have long or elaborately arranged or whatever that word means, hair: women do, this physical adornment is their glory, and they are the glory of men.]

 

[BJClark]

a mere housewife;

My husband doesn't care one way or another either, but if he had a preference then I'd submit to that, not another man's opinion or even my daughters concerns of my being gawked at, but in that he doesn't, I wear it on occassion, but most of the time I don't just don't care to put it on.

I know some women that never leave home without make up on, and it doesn't matter where they are going, be it to the mall, the beach, lake or pool they put their make up on, their husbands don't care one way or the other either, but it's just their personal preference to wear make up all the time.

 

[Nse007]

I think the mocking comments that some have made toward Michael are unwarranted. You may dissagree with him, but you can at least hear him out...it concerns me that people so quickly dismiss things. Aren't we aware of that same thing when our "evangelical" brothers patronize us? Let's try to have a respectful thoughtful discussion about things.

 

[a mere housewife]

Bobbi, I wear makeup pretty much every time I leave the house as well: I've been accosted several times by middle aged men when I was not wearing it in stores. I didn't understand what was going on but recognized that when I wear make up men are polite, but don't bother me. I heard a show on the radio about how some men will hang out in stores and approach women who look like victims, whether they are just looking for a relationship or something more sinister -- a woman who looks 'together' and more stylish doesn't look so much like a victim. I didn't like that kind of attention and in this my husband does have a preference: he doesn't like other men following/approaching me either. I haven't wanted to offer this as an 'excuse' because I don't think the desire to look nice needs to be excused. Makeup is not inherently evil and some of the women who don't leave home without it are some of the most inwardly beautiful women I've known.
I am so happy to know you and the other women here and to have your example in trying to please my husband and to please God.

 

[turmeric]

Let's remember what Paul says in Ch. 14 of the letter to the Romans and let each be convinced in his(or her) own mind, and be gracious to one another.

I think, reading the posts and the humor in them, that most of us are not trying to do what Jezebel was trying to do, but it's always good to examine one's motives.

As for "paintin' the barn", I've heard McGee give that very talk. In his opinion, the woman who accosted him asking about makeup could have used some to good effect. I don't know, I wasn't there. I probably could use some too, but I can't see well enough to put it on. I imagine the effect would be comical.