Adornment as a holy woman following Jesus

Be adorned.
Be adorned appropriately for a woman professing holiness.
 
This message was strongly spoken to me as I was almost asleep. What did it mean? I knew the scripture laid on my heart at the time it was spoken, but I realized I didn’t have full understanding of it. I had been studying the topic of jewelry and where to draw the line with accessories. It went along with my modesty blog and the series I had planned. My plans were to study and address the specific topics. When I thought of a woman adorned, I had an image in mind. I pictured big diamonds, gold, expensive jewelry, high-cost clothes, a painted face, Hollywood name brands, riches. I felt the need to look up the definition of adorned. Doing so changed my whole perspective on this topic.
 
What does it mean to be adorned? As a worldly woman? As a godly woman?
 
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (American Standard Version)
In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works.
 
1 Peter 3:3-4 (American Standard Version)
Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
 
To adorn is defined as “to make more beautiful or attractive”.
Synonyms: enhance, beautify, prettify, embellish, and bejewel. Ornament and “add ornament to” are also listed.
 
What is an ornament?
Noun: a thing used to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose
Verb: make (something) look more attractive by adding decorative items
 
Are my earrings an ornament??? I had never thought of it that way. I’ve worn jewelry my whole life. This is normal to me.
 
For so many years, I interpreted these two scriptures, 1 Peter 3:1-5 and 1 Timothy 2:9-10, that it was about being flashy. I thought of it as a principle of how we shouldn’t look rich or be showing off. No dripping in diamonds. No sporting gold chains like the world. No expensive jewelry. No elaborate hairstyles (I assume braided hair was somehow fancy back then?). We shouldn’t set our desires on worldly riches and symbols of status. It also could deter people from joining others at church if people seem to be of higher income status than the visitors. Be modest. Be humble in our appearance. Let’s not be all about our looks. Character matters more.
 
I still agree with that. I still think that’s an accurate interpretation and a guideline we should live by. I think there’s more to it though. Adornment is more than a list of items not to wear.
 
I had never even questioned these things before I started going to an Apostolic Pentecostal church. I’d read these verses before, but never studied them. I’d never heard them taught before. I used to wear a lot of jewelry and I always wore makeup. For years, I did not want to leave the house without makeup. I was uncomfortable with people seeing my naked skin, redness and flaws. Not having any jewelry on made me feel like I wasn’t fully dressed. I put my earrings in as part of putting my outfit on. I’d wear a wrist full of bracelets and often a necklace sometimes two at a time. It made me feel prettier. I felt more confident when I was done up.
 
Even after becoming Apostolic (in 2011) and starting to dress modestly, I still continued with the cosmetics and accessories. I cut back a lot. I was more natural with the makeup, less eye-catching. I took out my 2nd and 3rd earrings leaving just the first hole because I thought that was more modest. I wore jewelry a lot less than I did before (because I felt expected to not wear it at all). I considered following the traditional Apostolic way with the no jewelry or cosmetics, but I didn’t understand why they did it. I didn’t see it in scripture, and I had no conviction on it for many years.

Why

Why do Apostolic Pentecostals not wear cosmetics or jewelry? Why do the women look so different from what is mainstream in our culture? The long hair, the skirts, no pants, no makeup, no nail polish, no jewelry… Why do they look set apart this way? Let’s talk about what the scriptures say on how we should look and let’s talk about navigating boundaries. Figuring out where to draw the line on this certainly requires seeking the Lord on the matter and obeying the lead of the Holy Spirit.

Disclaimer

Friendly note to say these views are my own. I’m not officially representing my church’s views here or a denomination (my church is WPF but I am independent of denomination). If you have questions about standards, I encourage you to talk to your pastor’s wife.

Scriptures

Let’s look at the scriptures first. I want to keep it focused on New Testament here. There are plenty of verses in the Old Testament that show God’s people wearing jewelry. They wore earrings, nose rings, bracelets, and more. They wore gold. There are also stories of them using their gold to make idols. They’d draw attention to themselves (Isaiah 3:16-26). Is it the jewelry or the behavior? I could get wrapped up in trying to make heads or tails of that for years.
 
1 Timothy 2:9-10
In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works.
 
1 Peter 3:1-5
In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:
 
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.
 
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
 
(All scripture taken from the American Standard Version)

Worldly adornment

What ways do we add beauty to ourselves when we are living in the world? How do we make ourselves more attractive in the secular way of life?

• We dress up. We add beauty with our clothing.
• We dress in an attractive way. We choose jeans that make our backside look good. Many women choose revealing clothing to attract attention to her body. Those shirts are more low-cut. Those clothes are tighter.
• We wear high heels because for some reason being ready to break an ankle is sexy.
• Makeup is one of the first things we do to hide our flaws and make ourselves look better. We cover our skin so you can’t see any blemishes. We highlight. We add color to our lips so we look more attractive. We paint our eyes to be wanted.
• We paint our nails to feel pretty.
• Many women get fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake hair extensions, etc. We add artificial things to our bodies to look more enhanced in our feminine beauty.
• We cut our hair and dye it to make it feel fresh.
• We go tanning.
• Perfume is put on to smell appealing.
• We adorn ourselves with ornaments, gold, jewels, beads, whatever jewelry we like to make ourselves feel like we’ve got some sparkle to us.

 
In some cultures, women are very extravagant in their adornment. Their makeup, body art, gold, and jeweled decoration from head to toe is attention-grabbing enough that you don’t even see the person behind the paint and ornaments. Some drape themselves in jewelry, even connecting gold chains from ear piercing to nose piercing. Others paint their face with so many layers and colors you can’t see their real skin. We call it beautiful.
 
We dress to impress. We show off our bodies. We add accessories to feel more beautiful. We focus our beauty on our appearance. Have you ever noticed that? In the secular world or in the mainstream, a woman’s beauty is all about her body. She modifies it, paints it, decorates it with jewels, dresses it immodestly or extravagantly because the world tells us this is beauty. But is this what beauty is all about in God’s eyes?

Godly adornment

1 Timothy 2:9-10 says to adorn ourselves with

• Modest apparel
• Shamefastness
• Sobriety
• Through good works

And not with braided hair, gold, pearls, and costly raiment (expensive clothing)
 
In 1 Peter it says to let our adorning be

• The hidden man of the heart
• The incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit

Not the outward adorning of braiding the hair, wearing jewels of gold, or putting on apparel
 
Instead of focusing on beautifying the body, we should focus on beautifying who we are as a person.
 
The way we adorn ourselves as godly women is not to be about outward adorning. It’s not about appearance. It’s not about being beautiful by expensive clothes and fancy jewelry and elaborate hair. No, a godly beauty is much deeper than that. A godly beauty is modest, not revealed, not drawing attention to the body. It is of godly spirit and heart and character. It is a woman made more beautiful by her good works.
 
It's not the body that we focus on adding beauty to. It’s the way we live. It’s the way we walk by the Spirit. It’s the fruit we produce. It’s the good works we do. It’s the behavior of a woman professing holiness.
 
We are a temple of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be separate from the world. We present our bodies as holy, and we renew our minds to be transformed to what is acceptable in God’s ways.
 
Godly woman,
Do not focus on adding beauty to yourself by decorating and revealing your body. Add beauty to who you are by how you live for the Lord. Make yourself more attractive with godliness and good works.
 
A note to the godly men,
Looks catch attention, but be intentional with looking at who she is. Look for a godly woman living a holy lifestyle. Be attracted to godliness, good works, a meek and quiet spirit, modesty, and decent appearance. 

Where to draw the line

Once my focus shifted from the list of what not to wear to the root being about adornment for holy women following Jesus, that transformed my understanding of what these verses are all about.
 
That also left me wondering where to draw the line. Can we still wear the things of the world that add beauty? Is jewelry okay in moderation? Are cosmetics okay if our heart is in the right place? Many would say it’s a heart matter. I think it’s primarily a holiness matter.
 
2 Corinthians 6:17 (American Standard Version)
Wherefore
Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
And touch no unclean thing;
And I will receive you,
 
2 Corinthians 7:1 (ASV)
Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
 
1 Peter 1:14-16 (ASV)
as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance: but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.
 
 
You, woman of God, be separate.
Come out from amongst them.
Cleanse yourself from all defilement.
Be holy.
 
Interestingly, the opposite definition of defilement is purification or sanctification. Is it impure to dip yourself in the world’s ways of adornment while also pursuing holiness and a separateness from the ways of the world?
 
These are the messages that I see in these scriptures.

1. Be modest. I have a separate blog on my personal modesty standards here.
2. Women of God adorn themselves differently than women of the world.
3. Don’t adorn yourself (add beauty) like the world does.
4. We need to glorify God with our bodies. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
5. We need to be holy and be separate from the ways of the world. We need to be clean from anything that is defilement or is impure.

 
Where do you draw the line? That’s a matter of personal conviction, and one you’ll have to seek the Lord on. Take time to think on these things: adornment as a godly woman, adornment in the world, cosmetics, body art, jewelry… Choosing to abstain from cosmetics and jewelry altogether is a safe way to go, but surely many wonder if moderation is acceptable. I wonder the same myself. Without scripture on a topic or specifics given for clarity, these are matters of personal conviction. Much of this are things I’ve received conviction on over the years even if I didn’t fully understand. I won’t preach that I have all the answers and people need to do as I do. You need to seek this out on your own. We all grow at our own pace. Be gentle with your journey; God is patient and compassionate.
 
I thought about ending the blog here. Leave it open for thought and self-reflection. Let the reader simply figure out where to go from here with this matter. That felt like a weak closure because all throughout this blog series I have been sharing my personal experiences and thoughts on issues for Apostolic Pentecostal women. We’ve hit the modesty topic and I fully shared my standards. I blogged on why I quit wearing pants and went to skirts or dresses only. I held nothing back when I blogged on uncut hair. I shared my heart when I blogged about why I quit wearing makeup. And now this blog was intended to hit the jewelry topic which got shifted to the topic of adornment. The problem is there are some aspects of this I still don’t have peace on. So this paragraph was supposed to be my graceful bow-out inviting you as the reader to consider the things I have said and seek the Lord on the matter. You could stop reading now and leave it at that. If you’d like to continue, I’m going to get into my messy thoughts and unraveled convictions as I’ve spent years navigating the ins and outs of this topic trying to make sense and draw lines while also wrestling with the frustration of lack of guidance from so many Apostolics being unwilling to openly talk about these topics. Grab a glass of sweet tea. Let’s sort out the different aspects of adornment as Christian women.

. . .

One thing that is hard with this is the “Well she does that” way of thinking. There are so many good people out there who adorn themselves in the ways of worldly beauty but they are still good Christians. There are so many sweet and kind women with glittery eyelids, colored lips, and fake nails. It’s hard to let go of thinking “well she does that” as a way to justify also doing that. She has her own walk with God. So do you. This is entirely up to you where you draw the line for your own body’s adornment. It’s not a judgment on other women if you feel convicted to stop wearing something or abstain from something that happens to be common in our culture.
 
There’s also a lot of “If not this, then why that?” questions I’ve grappled with. There are plenty of hypocrisies to wade through. If not fake pearl earrings, then why fake pearls in the hair? What some lack in jewelry, they make up for in hair accessories. How are my little earrings wrong, but a whole headband of pearls is fine? If not nail polish, then why are French manicures accepted in so many Apostolic churches? After all, dollar store nail polish is humbler than dropping $40 on fake nails. If not necklaces, why jeweled broaches on the shirt? If not bracelets, then why watches with jewels when plain watches serve a purpose just fine? If not jewels or gold or pearls, why is clothing with fake jewels or ornaments not considered too much? If not slits in the skirt so it doesn’t lead the eye up, why high heels and fishnet tights that draw attention to the legs and also lead the eye up to the hemline? What about the hypocrisy of people who don’t wear jewelry in general, but they choose to buy extremely expensive wedding rings. I understand the rings have a purpose and I fully support the wearing of wedding rings, but is it necessary to buy a ring so flashy you can see it across the room? I could go on, and these issues vary from church to church. One church in town may push the limits with every accessory they can get away with while another church in the same city is more authentic to the principles behind the standards there.
 
There’s also something to be said for following your pastor’s lead and the traditions of Apostolic Pentecostal people for the sake of being in alignment with what your congregation does and doesn’t do. On the one hand, there is unity in that. I’m aware the bible says to obey our pastors and submit to them because they keep watch over our souls as those who will give an account (Hebrews 13:17). On the other hand, each person has to have their own faith and they should do so genuinely. No one should be expected to deny or hide their beliefs so they can conform to someone else’s beliefs. I am open with the fact that I don’t follow a denomination and I don’t do formal church membership anymore. Standards are a top reason for that. It’s not the standards themselves; it’s the common lack of respect for people who have different beliefs or whose convictions draw the boundary in a different place than what is socially acceptable in that particular congregation.
 
In this blog series, I’ve shared my personal experiences learning about the traditional Apostolic teachings, the things I’ve struggled with, and the changes that I’ve grown into over the years. There are a lot of things that it took me a long time to understand. I will step on my soapbox here and say that it shouldn’t take so long to understand these things, but it does when people don’t teach standards anymore.
 
In the following sections, I’m going to share my personal decisions on the different issues we must choose one way or the other on. Again, this is just me personally. While most of it is in alignment with the teachings and traditions of my WPF church, these views are my own.
 
Content reminder: This blog is specific to adornment as holy women following Jesus. This is not about holiness in general. I realize our looks are not the focus of holiness. The way we love God and strive to live like him, love one another and treat others good and serve others, and pursue righteousness is the focus of holiness. Our looks do matter though because our outer appearance often represents the values in our lifestyle.

Modesty

Dressing modestly is a biblical instruction. For my own take on modesty and the standards that I’ve settled at, read this blog on my modesty standards as an Apostolic Pentecostal woman.

Body modification

Tattoos
I was never against them. The only scripture on it is Old Testament. I declared it irrelevant. I got a tattoo when I was in college in 2017, and I love it. I’m an author and I have books tattooed on my right forearm. I don’t regret it. However, the Lord has a way of convicting people out of the blue. It was early 2020. I remember I was in my living room reading the bible. I started praying and got up to walk while I prayed. For some reason, I held onto my bible while I prayer walked. I don’t remember what I was praying about. I just remember this was shortly after I got back in church. The bible was against my forearm. My arm got hot. The tattoo was red and raised like it had just been done. The skin around it was normal. The message I felt was ‘pure and undefiled’ is what God wants me to be. I felt conviction, and I confess I didn’t like it. I wanted more tattoos. Alas, I feel conviction against it now and won’t get any more.  
 
Body art such as henna
After feeling convicted on tattoos, I feel like other forms of body art go along with the message of looking pure and undefiled. Even though I always wanted to try henna, I’m just not comfortable with it now. It’s not a big deal. It’s not really a loss. It’s simply something I don’t pursue going out and getting.
 
Tanning
It’s not wrong to have a natural tan. However, tanning beds and spray tans feel wrong to me because they can harm the body. I have no desire for it. I don’t want to change my skin color so other people find me more attractive. I’m fully content with my natural skin color. I suppose we could address the sins of vanity, pride, and envy, but for me I’m simply not interested in artificially changing my skin tone for beauty.
 
Piercings
The only piercing I have is 3 holes in each ear lobe. I stopped using the middle one years ago, and the 3rd hole sadly closed up a while back. I’ve had my first holes since I was about 7 I think and the other 2 came at 17 (I’m 34). Ear piercings is very normal in our culture, and I can’t say I feel like it’s sinful. I don’t have any desire for any other piercings (though I did want a small nose stud for a long time). I do think there is a boundary with how big or flashy they can be before it’s an attention-seeking issue. At the same time, I don’t think it’s holy to put holes in our body to hang ornaments so we can be adorned in a more flashy or colorful way. I think it’s so normal in my life and family and culture that I may be desensitized to the fact that we add holes to our body to decorate. I’ll be honest here and say that I don’t feel any conviction on having my ears pierced. Spoiler alert though: I do wear jewelry in moderation.

Cosmetics

Traditionally, Apostolic women do not wear makeup or nail polish. Some churches give approval (not a fan of the word “allow”) to makeup that appears natural or to clear nail polish or even French manicures (fake nails with white tips). I’ll never understand how any kind of fake nails can be approved of when colored nail polish is judged.
 
Makeup
When I first got in the Apostolic church in 2011, I cut back on a lot of my makeup. I threw away some. I hung onto my lip glosses. I tried to love myself without makeup. I never had any conviction against it though. When I backslid, all my previous makeup habits came back. I got back in church at the end of 2019. The makeup issue came up, but I had no belief against it. There’s no scripture that straightly says not to wear any cosmetics. In the summer of 2020, I felt conviction on that matter. I threw away all of my makeup in September of 2020. It was hard to do. I was willing to obey, but it wasn’t something I wanted to obey. It took dedication to follow through on that. It’s been 2 years, and I see makeup so differently than I used to. I have no desire for it. I can’t stand the thought of wearing it. I see it differently. Sometimes we need to have some distance from our habits before we see it in a different way. Read my blog on why I quit wearing makeup.
 
In America in modern times, makeup and nail polish and even fake nails now are very normal parts of our culture. There was a time I remember that a lady would not have fake nails unless it be for a special occasion. Now it’s a daily norm. There was a time not many generations ago that makeup was considered inappropriate to most Christians. In the bible, God’s people did not paint their faces for added beauty. The painting of the face is only mentioned with prostitutes and whores. For hundreds and hundreds of years, it was common for Christian women to abstain from makeup because it was thought to be for those who were promiscuous or perhaps even prostitutes. Although makeup has been worn for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 1900s that it slowly became accepted in Christian circles. Television, Hollywood, and theater shows were influential in that.
 
With this being about my personal standards, I’ll leave it at that. I personally am convicted not to wear makeup. I threw all of mine away, and I’m so glad I did. With the acceptance of makeup and what boundaries are the right spot to draw the line, undoubtedly a natural face is certainly more modest and aligned with holiness values.
 
Nail polish
At the time I gave up makeup, I questioned nail polish. It’s not the same as painting your face. I continued to wear nail polish, though I wore it less and less and lost desire for it over time. Then I reached this weird point where I would have it on and wanted to take it off. I have always loved nail polish. I like the colors. I like the sparkle. I like the way it makes a gal feel more feminine. And yet over time I grew to prefer the natural nails look. In August of 2022, conviction came on nail polish. I freely confess I did not like this moment! I didn’t want to lay that down. I had been seeing it differently for a while. I can’t give you a reason that it’s wrong. I can only tell you that I lost desire for it and got to a point that I didn’t want to wear it even though the colors are pretty. That was a hard one because I adore the fun colors, but at the same time did not want it on me anymore.  
 
Artificial nails
For quite a while before I gave up nail polish, I had decided I didn’t want to do fake nails anymore. It felt too flashy, too worldly. There are so many pretty colors and adorable designs out there. Yet I didn’t desire to wear fake nails ever again. I was never big on having fake nails. I’d do it every now and again to feel pretty, but it’d last maybe 2 days before they annoyed me. I admit I tend to admire other people’s fake nails (the short kind).
 
Hair dye
Nor will I dye my hair. I let it be natural. I used to dye my hair every now and again. I liked doing highlights. I had some fun colors when I was younger. And I’m not saying it’s sin to dye your hair. I just don’t feel like it anymore. I’m content with my hair the way God made it.
 
Perfume
Perfume is a type of cosmetic that doesn’t get mentioned much. Again with the personal conviction, I do not wear perfume because I feel that the intention is to be seductive. That’s totally a heart matter. Some people may just like that scent. I don’t think anything of it when other people wear perfume or cologne. If you look into this topic, you may be surprised how much perfume/cologne is made and promoted with the intention to be seductive. There are actually studies showing which scents are the most arousing. Science has found scents trigger a biochemical response that increases sexual interest. Ladies, how often do you notice a cologne you like and think he smells delicious? Be honest. It’s attractive. It makes you want to get closer. But are you looking to attract like that? Eek. Something to think about.
 
In general, decorative cosmetics is something that I have lost desire for. I don’t miss it. These aren’t rules that I bend over backwards to discipline myself to suffer through. These are things that I have personal conviction from the Lord on and I obey that out of dedication to my faith. I don’t desire after these things. All of these are things I used to do. I used to wear makeup every time I left the house. I thought I was hot stuff having fake nails. I used to rock the glittery eyeshadow and dark lipstick and douse myself in perfume ready to be attractive to whoever I came across. I just don’t want to do those things anymore. I’m happy with the things I let go of. I’m happy with seeking to be plain and holy.

Jewelry

This has always been a hard topic for me since I’ve been Apostolic Pentecostal because I’m not against jewelry altogether. Based on 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:1-5, I do feel like we shouldn’t wear expensive jewelry or be flashy about it. I don’t think we should be dressing in an expensive way that makes people feel lowly. I don’t think we should pursue the worldly riches and status symbols. I also don’t think we should focus our beauty on our bodies. Our outer adornment should not be the focus of what makes us attractive.
 
That said, I think it’s excessive to interpret these verses as a total ban on jewelry including inexpensive jewelry and simple pieces in moderation. I can’t show you a bible verse that says not to wear jewelry at all. I can show you a lot of bible verses in the Old Testament where God’s people did wear jewelry. Yes, there are examples of them using it for idolatry or attracting attention. There are other times where it was a gift (Genesis 24) or it was a jeweled bride (Isaiah 61:10). We could call it culture. We could also repeat the cliché that just because the bible doesn’t say thou shall not doesn’t mean it’s saying thou shall.
 
I do wonder what the early church practiced on this topic. Ancient cultures used jewelry to display status. Earrings were a sign of wealth to the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Rome and Greece would wear jeweled earrings to display status. Earrings were also worn among the prostitutes in ancient Greece and among slaves in ancient Rome. It seems many Christian scholars and historical figures were against jewelry along with cosmetics. Some of those are generally considered heretics. Some of those teachers emphasize self-denial as a form of holiness. Even bathing unnecessarily was forbidden by some leaders. A life of denial, suffering, and plain dress was taught by some church figures. Traditionally, churches following the Holiness movement forbid jewelry and cosmetics. Some also forbid wearing bright colors or artificial flowers. Undoubtedly, there is legalism intertwined in some historical teachings. Salvation is not hinged on perfecting an appearance of holiness. While it’s interesting to see what has been taught over the years, scripture alone is what we should base our doctrine on. To me, where to draw the line with jewelry is a matter of personal conviction.
 
Teaching against cosmetics and teaching against jewelry almost always seems to go hand-in-hand. I think for me the thing that is different about jewelry is it has never been about seeking to be attractive or draw any kind of attention. Most of the things I have changed about my appearance since getting in church revolve around practices seeking to be attractive. I dressed immodestly and sometimes provocatively in my younger years with a shortage of clothing covering me; I now dress modestly. I wore makeup to be more appealing to others; I now wear no makeup. I wore fake nails to be sexy; I lost desire for that. I put perfume behind my ears solely for a certain type of attention; I now don’t wear perfume. I would dye my hair to look more attractive; I stopped that practice. But jewelry has never been something I put on to look good to other people. It’s never been something I wear to be more attractive. It’s always been an accessory I add to my outfit because I think it’s cute. The heart of desiring to wear jewelry has never been sinful for me. That’s why these topics don’t go hand-in-hand in my eyes. And, yes, it’s technically adornment and ornament but we adorn ourselves with nice-looking clothing for the same reasons. We can’t hide behind “it serves a purpose” with everything we put on. Much of what we choose to put on is because we like the way it looks or feels. We could serve the same purpose of modest covering with plain dress and no accessories. It's normal and fine and healthy for us to have our own style and dress in a way that we like.
 
For 11 years (since I started going to an Apostolic church in 2011), I have tried to understand the traditional Apostolic view on this. I just don’t see it the same way. I see no scripture I interpret to convey a total ban on jewelry. I have no personal conviction against it altogether, though I have prayed on the matter countless times. It would be easier if I did share that conviction simply for the sake of unity as my wearing of jewelry (no matter how lightly) has always been one of the top things that outcasts me from inclusion in Apostolic social circles. I’m convinced many are seeking to follow church teaching and tradition who don’t actually believe jewelry is wrong. It’s astounding how many people who follow such standards have confessed to me they don’t actually agree with it. I won’t try to steer someone away from following their pastor. After all, there’s certainly nothing sinful about refraining from jewelry. One could easily argue there reaches a point that wearing jewelry becomes excessive and possibly sinful along with consideration to the heart behind why they wear it. If you abstain from jewelry, there is no difficulty in deciding where to draw the line. On the other hand, I also don’t want to put an unnecessary yoke on any believer striving to follow Jesus. Let’s not weigh people down with rules that neither prevent sin or produce fruit.
 
I’ve revisited this issue so many times. It’s been on my mind a lot over the last couple of months. In that time, I have avoided wearing jewelry for the sake of a clear mind. Sometimes we need some distance from things before we can see it clearly spiritually. I intentionally didn’t wear jewelry for much of the last several months. I even cleared out a lot of my jewelry and got rid of what I didn’t really want to hang on to. I’ve prayed for understanding and conviction if that’s what God wants me to do more times than I can count.
 
I could give it up. I love earrings and like my boho jewelry. There’s nothing that I won’t lay down though if I thought God wanted me to. But I’m not willing to change my looks to gain social acceptance in religious circles that don’t love me unless I look like them.  
 
I am open to revelation and conviction. I am also open to correction, but I require correction to be rooted in scripture. Sure, you could pull the obedience card and tell me to follow what the church teaches without argument or question. I gain no roots that way, and I know myself well enough to know caged faith will make me crave freedom and I’m likely to fall away from church. It is not worth the detriment to my spirit to deny my genuine beliefs for the sake of piggybacking on someone else’s beliefs that I don’t actually agree with. I grow only when I seek to imitate Jesus and improve at living for him and worshipping him, not when I seek to follow peers in the congregation.
 
As for me, I see nothing wrong with jewelry according to scriptures alone as long as it is not the focus of our adornment, flashy, expensive, displaying status, or drawing seductive attention to our bodies. Should I ever feel conviction on this matter, I will gladly update the blog with explanation.
 
And I confess I am discontent with this conclusion – not because it feels like it goes against the scriptures, but because it is disharmony with the congregation. Should I let go of wearing jewelry for the sake of unity? That feels fake to me. Should I follow what is taught even if I don’t understand? That has never satisfied my soul. I want the wisdom. I’m someone who wants to understand, wants to study the scriptures, wants to seek God on the matter. To follow what I don’t believe is a spiritual cage I cannot grow in. If I am wrong, I will stand and give an answer on my own. I could argue with myself that all these other things I didn’t understand and therefore refused to follow I later came to understand and follow in alignment with the church’s teachings: modesty, skirts, hair, makeup, other cosmetics, and countless matters of holy lifestyle. I could remind myself of all the things I laid down, let go of, repented of, lost desire for, and so on when I pursue the Apostolic ways. I can tell you that the Holy Ghost doesn’t fall in unholy places. Walk into an Apostolic Pentecostal church and you will see God moving in their lives. You will feel the presence of the Lord in the sanctuary. While part of that is that God inhabits the praises of his people, I think a big aspect of that is people living holy for the Lord know how to get ahold of a the Holy One. I won’t disagree that they may understand holy appearance better than I do. The presence of God in the atmosphere in churches that follow these traditional Apostolic Pentecostal standards is worthy of argument to get fully in alignment even if you don’t understand. The Holy Ghost would not linger there if they were teaching against God. I can tell you that it would be easier to draw the line at simply no rather than finding a boundary of acceptable moderation. I can tell you to follow the church that is teaching bible in every other way even if matters of personal conviction are added to the traditions of the faith (though I feel very strongly we need a clear distinction between scriptural interpretation or personal conviction, and matters of conviction should never be taught on the same level as scripture itself). But I cannot genuinely tell you that I feel any conviction against jewelry altogether.
 
I realize part of that is due to the hypocrisies of other ways we adorn ourselves that match the world. Unless you notice the lack of shorts and sleeveless, Apostolic men look the same as the normal world. It’s normal for men to have short hair and not wear cosmetics, and it’s not uncommon for men to not wear jewelry. Should women have to look exceedingly more separate from the world than the men do? Yet it is the elaborate hairstyles and outfits and other accessories in Apostolic culture that make me think laying down jewelry is unnecessary. Why should I have to let go of small pearl earrings when so many women in church wear larger fake pearls in their hair accessories? It doesn’t say don’t wear pearl jewelry in 1 Timothy 2:9-10; it says not to adorn yourself with pearls. Tell me what difference is there between my faux pearl earrings or necklace compared to the large and easily-noticeable pearl hair accessories? Why is my $10 beaded bracelet supposedly drawing attention to my body, but high heels are the norm every Sunday morning? I could go on. It'd be quite different if we as an Apostolic culture were more conservative in accessorizing or in the cost of our attire. There’s certainly nothing wrong with dressing nice especially for church. The traditional suit and tie look good, and the women are often dressed beautifully. Those beautiful dresses don’t come cheap, and a normal Apostolic woman’s church outfit is considered expensive by the low-income world. I suppose we get so used to it we don’t question it. It’s a normal part of our culture to dress up. Some go so far as to be judgmental of those who dress plainer for church. How is the heart of that different though than the “worldly adornment” of cosmetics and jewelry? I ramble. Nevertheless, the “if not this, then why that” of acceptability are valid questions for converts.
 
If we lay down all jewelry – not just the gold and expensive and the pieces to impress status – what is to be said of the expensive clothing and the elaborate hairstyles? Those parts of the verses get largely ignored (especially the hairstyles), but other parts get taken to more conservative measures than what is written. Should we not also follow through with plain hair and inexpensive dress? Apostolic women would go into conniption fits if they couldn’t do their hair up fancy like every Sunday is a bride’s big day. If the principle of not being showy were evenly applied, I could see a valid argument for refraining from jewelry.
 
The irony is not lost on me that I am liberal on the issue of jewelry yet more conservative in both look and lifestyle in every other way. It is also not lost on me that most Apostolics who don’t follow the staple standards also don’t live holy. Generally, the women who wear pants and makeup and jewelry are also women who live similarly to the world in both accepting sin and entertaining themselves with the same screens as the secular. Also generally, those who live a lifestyle like I do are almost always people who do not wear jewelry. Over the years I have given up drinking, smoking, gambling, and other lifestyle issues. I’m adamantly opposed to Halloween and don’t hesitate to warn of the dangers of witchcraft. I don’t do Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny because I think it’s sacrilegious. I make no acknowledgment to the Tooth Fairy or other mystical creatures. I don’t watch TV or own one. I am strict on entertainment, and the majority of the music I listen to is worship music. I live for the Lord the best I know how. I dress very modestly. I don’t wear pants. I don’t let my knees show. I am modest in heart never intending to draw attention to my body. I don’t wear high heels as I find them flashy (and uncomfortable) nor do I wear bold-patterned clothing because I don’t want to draw attention to myself. I seek purity in my lifestyle and actions. I don’t wear any makeup or perfume. Etc. The fact that I wear jewelry feels like a glaring anomaly. I find that I fit in with neither the jewelry crowd of Apostolics as they are too liberal, and I don’t fit in with the no-jewelry crowd as they are too judgmental on this topic.
 
Jewelry is the topic that is always my hang up, not because my interpretations feel unsteady but because my frustration never ends with the way people approach this topic with such my way or the highway to hell attitude (and, no, standards of “outer holiness” are not a salvation issue). Should I ever change my views or receive conviction, I’ll update it here.

Other accessories

Hair accessories are one thing to consider along with the jewelry topic. If I did not wear jewelry in my ears or on my neck or on my wrist, I doubt I’d make excuses for wearing it in my hair. It serves a purpose? Plain bobbypins and clips and less eye-catching barrettes serve the same purpose. I suppose I could give myself grace to be decorated in ways that serve a purpose. That’s what everybody else seems to do.
 
Hose/tights are not my preference anyway, but I won’t wear any styles that draw the eye’s attention. Typically, I only wear sweater tights in cold weather. I’ve always found it odd some of the tights I see modest women wear in the church. I wonder if they know women in the world who wear those kind of tights only do so for sex-appeal. Perhaps, they’ve never been exposed to those social circles or locations.
 
Shoes are something few mention. There’s a line there between decent heels and hooker shoes. If it would be seen on a different kind of stage Friday night, I wouldn’t wear it to church Sunday morning. This is one of those things that vary from congregation to congregation. One church may push the limits whereas another church sticks to the heart of standards.
 
And purses are worth mentioning. What good is not wearing expensive jewelry if someone walks into church with a Gucci bag or Louis Vuitton or some super-expensive name-brand sold for high dollar to impress the world? Does that not make the poor feel lowly just as much as big diamonds or excessive gold? Does that not deter people from coming to church if leaders are wearing expensive status symbols of Hollywood? Know that the examples I’m giving in this blog are things I’ve seen in a variety of places, and I’m not being passive-aggressive to anyone specific. The instructions not to adorn ourselves with (here are a few examples) have a message behind the examples listed.
 
These are things I think on when I examine the holiness of my appearance in dress and accessories. Of course, the way I treat people and love others and the way I live matter superiorly far more. That doesn’t mean looks don’t matter though.

Overall appearance

Overall, it is a privilege to be set apart from the world. It is a privilege to represent Christ. As women, we are especially privileged to be more noticeably different from the world as the mainstream culture pulls in the opposite direction of traditional church teachings. How great it is for people to be able to tell just by looking at us that we are dedicated to living for the Lord.
 
Our adornment should be different than the secular world. We should not be seeking after beauty focused on attraction to the body. Focus on becoming a more beautiful and attractive woman by being a good and holy Christian.
 
Modest. Humble. Natural.
Untainted with the world’s idea of beauty.
Pure. Undefiled. Chaste.
A quiet and meek spirit.
Godliness. Good works.
This is godly beauty.
 
 
How do you want to be adorned as a holy woman following Jesus?