Spiritual Adornment

This is a really exciting blog post in my opinion, because this topic of spiritual adornment came from my dad. He saw an ad that said, "Fall in love with jewelry," and thought how different the world's view is from the Bible. God does not call us to pursue outward beauty, but to have a spiritual adornment of ornaments and jewels.

The world says that beauty is of the utmost importance. But it is completely outward for the purpose of being noticed, or feeling good about yourself.

How many times have you felt like you needed to do your hair and make up in order to feel better about yourself? I have fallen into this more than a few times. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is a sin to want to do your hair and makeup. I enjoy doing those things (and as we will see, God has a lot to say about putting on certain ornaments and jewels). However, if our outward beauty becomes more important than the spiritual adornment and beauty that God calls us to, I do think that it can become wrong because it distracts us from the beauty that is most important: the inner person.

The world says to fall in love with jewelry, but God also has a lot to say about adornment.

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).

"Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our savior in all things" (Titus 2:9-10).

"My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck" (Proverbs 1:8-9).

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3-4).

"Get wisdom! Get understanding! do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you" (Proverbs 4:5-9).

"In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing" (1 Timothy 2:9).

The Bible is full of examples of what it means to be beautiful to God and to adorn ourselves with the things that God finds precious. He clothes us in garments of salvation and robes of righteousness (Is 61:10). He calls servants (which would include you and me) to be obedient, show fidelity, and adorn ourselves with the doctrine of God (Titus 2:9-10). He says that the instruction and law of our parents are graceful ornaments on our heads and chains around our necks (Prov 3:3-4). He desires that our adornment be the hidden person of the heart, with incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in God's sight (1 Peter 3:3-4), to be modest in apparel, with propriety and moderation, not braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothes (1 Tim 2:9). And He says that wisdom and understanding are an ornament of grace and a crown of glory (Prov 4:5-9).

We are the bride of Christ, and like a bride adorns herself with jewelry, God calls us to adorn ourselves with these spiritual jewels that are priceless to God and completely precious.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'" (1 Samuel 16:7).