I have been challenged this summer in a Bible study I've been attending about keeping up appearances. It is easy to do that, isn't it? We go to work and put on the appearance of being very professional, we go to church and put on the appearance of being very spiritual, and we homeschool and put on the appearance with our fellow homeschool friends of teaching our kids a wide variety of subjects, including Latin, all while they are sitting at the table quietly, with clean faces and their hair nicely combed.
I until very recently thought appearances were pretty important, especially when going to church. Except for Amy, who is now 13, and old enough to decide for herself, I required that my girls dress nicely for church - it didn't have to be in a dress, but certainly no jeans or t-shirts. And tennis shoes? Well, not unless it is raining!
But through conversation with the gals in my group, one in particular, I have been challenged in this area. If you asked me why I had my kids dress up for church, I would say it is to show respect to God. And I do believe our God is a holy God and certainly worthy of our respect, and that to dress up when we go to corporately worship Him is a very small sacrifice.
However, the Bible says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. So even if my girls are dressed nicely for church to please mom, but their heart isn't pleasing him, what do I have? Just well-dressed young ladies. How much am I concerned with where their heart is on Sunday mornings, and every morning of the week?
After consideration, I think that I am not going to have nearly as much of a say with what my kids wear to church. I need to be first and foremost concerned with where their hearts are with the Lord. I still personally believe it is nice to dress up to go to church. I like to honor God in that small way. And I do hope that by my example, the girls will choose to dress a little nicer to go to church too.
But my goal is to have kids that are authentic for Christ, not little Pharisees that on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are like white washed tombs, full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Mtt. 23:27) The older my girls get, the more I see that their heart, their heart is what matters, and that is the most important area to work on.
I until very recently thought appearances were pretty important, especially when going to church. Except for Amy, who is now 13, and old enough to decide for herself, I required that my girls dress nicely for church - it didn't have to be in a dress, but certainly no jeans or t-shirts. And tennis shoes? Well, not unless it is raining!
But through conversation with the gals in my group, one in particular, I have been challenged in this area. If you asked me why I had my kids dress up for church, I would say it is to show respect to God. And I do believe our God is a holy God and certainly worthy of our respect, and that to dress up when we go to corporately worship Him is a very small sacrifice.
However, the Bible says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. So even if my girls are dressed nicely for church to please mom, but their heart isn't pleasing him, what do I have? Just well-dressed young ladies. How much am I concerned with where their heart is on Sunday mornings, and every morning of the week?
After consideration, I think that I am not going to have nearly as much of a say with what my kids wear to church. I need to be first and foremost concerned with where their hearts are with the Lord. I still personally believe it is nice to dress up to go to church. I like to honor God in that small way. And I do hope that by my example, the girls will choose to dress a little nicer to go to church too.
But my goal is to have kids that are authentic for Christ, not little Pharisees that on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are like white washed tombs, full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Mtt. 23:27) The older my girls get, the more I see that their heart, their heart is what matters, and that is the most important area to work on.
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