imago Dei

You think you're gorgeous?
You think you have a fantastic fashion sense?
You think you're unique?

Well, you're wrong.
No matter what you make yourself up to look like, or how you dress up, you'll never be unique.
Because whatever you do, you're conforming to some standard that someone has already set for you, be it history, be it the current trends or what the world says is beautiful. Beauty is a matter of culture. Think upon the tiny bound feet from China or the neck rings from i dunno where, all these ideas of beauty are many and varied.

Size 00 models and models whose BMI is lower than the ideal minimum are banned from the runway. But why were they even there in the first place? Because someone thought that thin is beautiful. Most people operate on the assumption that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that oh i'm attracted to this or that, well, just cos i am lah! Who can help who or what they are attracted to right? That is so superficial.

Consider this : if we move beyond the superficial reasons, to the roots of our desire and attraction to certain aspects in a person, then it just means we are measuring beauty by our distorted and inadequate measure of our own tastes and desires.

What is real beauty?
God, the Real Creator, created and He created everything beautiful.
He made us in His own image.
I mean think about it, we're made as reflections of God! Who is truly beautiful and lovely to whom none can compare!
We are wonderfully and fearfully made and His works are wonderful.
God is the standard to beauty.
And anyone who sets out to create doesn't aim to create ugliness.
God created us to glorify Him.
We are created functionally beautiful.
So to have true beauty is to live a life that glorifies God.
True beauty comes from the imago Dei, the more you reflect God, the more that is beautiful and attractive.
And this beauty from the inside will be obvious on the outside.

Fashion is merely WHAT IS IN.
That means we have the ability to fashion FASHION.
Only now, rather than looking to the world and their standards of beauty, we should look to God's standards. That means we need to stop being beauty critics and get busy creating, honoring, and guarding real beauty. It starts with us.
We can choose to resemble Christ rather than Kate Moss.
We can choose modesty over sexiness.
We can reject the worldly values of beauty that lead women to starve themselves or spend a small fortune on clothes.

Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing--but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.--1 Peter 3:3-4

So instead of putting so much effort into making our outer selves look beautiful, make yourselves truly forever beautiful starting today!

For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of God endures forever." --1 Peter 1:24-25

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. --Matthew 6:19-20

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Here's an interesting place to start. The Modesty Survey is an anonymous discussion between guys and girls who care about modesty. It gives good guidelines to where to draw the line with modesty. I didn't know that so many simple things could actually lead my brothers in Christ to think the wrong way and eventually sin. One Christian guy put it this way, "We’d rather do our battles with the world than with our sisters in Christ." I thought it was particularly interesting myself, and was convicted of my sin in this very area of my tertiary studies. So girls, have a look and guys, sign the petition.