Who Has The Say?

     “And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.”

 Jeremiah 4:30

     “And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.” 

2 Kings 9:30

      “And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,” 

       “And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.” 

     “And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.” 

Ezekiel 23:40-42

     “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” 

Psalms 10:4

      “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 

     A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” 

Proverbs  6:16,17

Facial Paint

What are cosmetics?

     “Cosmetics are preparations used to change the appearance or enhance the beauty of the face, skin, and hair.  Like perfumes, cosmetics were originally used as an adjunct to religious rituals, and the ceremonial aspects were gradually lost as both men and women adorned themselves with cosmetics.

     “Archaeological evidence suggests that prehistoric people knew how to prepare pigments and blend them with greasy substances that could be use to paint cave walls and to decorate the body. Body painting was a form of both adornment and magical protection.”

World Book Encyclopedia

     “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” 

Proverbs 31:30

      “My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 

      Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 

      When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 

     For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 

     To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 

     Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.”  Proverbs 6:20-25

     “How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;” 

      “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:”

     “To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.” 

       “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” 

     “For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” 

Proverbs  6:23-26

      “And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.” 

Ezekiel16:30,39

     The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians have left records showing these ancient civilizations consistently made use of cosmetics for ceremonial, medicinal, and ornamental purposes.  Face and body paints as well as skin oils and unguents (salve for healing or ointment) have been found in pots and jars in the form of sticks and pencils.  In ancient India women paid homage to the body by using cosmetics and perfumes to lure their lovers.  In Kama sutra ( a famous Indian treatise of love) women were advised to learn the art of tattooing and coloring the teeth, garments, hair, nails, and bodies.  Cosmetics also serve as an emblem of rank or caste.  The Greeks used perfumes, rouges, and eye paint made of kohl.  The Romans used cosmetics as a symbol of status and wealth.

     In the modern era, France became the leader in developing the art of make-up, and both men and women of rank used face powder.  The Venetians later became the major producer of cosmetic preparation.  They made a skin whitener, superior to all others, which was in great demand, even though it was known it could ruin the complexion, cause baldness and even death. 

World Book Encyclopedia

     “What do women declare when they ‘put on a face?’  Is making up and act of deception, a confirmation of ‘natural’ female identity, a self-conscious ‘put on?’  By the light of today’s TV shopping channels, as celebrities hawk their cosmetic lines.  It may seem that the promise of beauty is nothing but a commercial myth that binds women to it costly pursuit.  Critics are not wrong to address the power of corporation, advertisers, and mass media to foster and profit from myth.”

     “Woman’s growing acceptance of beautifying blossomed into a mass market after World War I.  From expensive skin creams to dime-store makeup, new goods tumbled into the marketplace.  Between 1909 and 1929, the number of American perfume and cosmetic manufacturers nearly doubled, and the factory value of their products rose tenfold, from $14.2 million to nearly $141 million.  In 19 29 sociologist Robert Lynd estimated, Americans were Americans were spending $700 million annually for cosmetics and beauty for cosmetics and beauty services.

     The painted face had suddenly become a sign of the times.  By the 1930’s, how-to manuals and product inserts gave detailed instructions on contouring and coloring with new foundation creams, lipstick and eye shadow.  Women could easily learn the ‘Hollywood trick of dramatizing, heightening, and accenting’ facial features, wrote one beauty expert.  What had once been denounced as paint was now celebrated as glamour, ‘one of the thrill words of this decade.’ As a make-up artist proclaimed, ‘we can literally manufacture’ facial glamour ‘right out of the paint pot.’”

Kathy Peiss

     The Cosmetic Industry

“Few other industries in the U. S. market a product as non-essential as cosmetics, and in few other industries has advertising played so crucial role.  As early as the 1920s cosmetic companies ranked second behind food companies in the amount of money spent on advertising.  By the 1950s, when competition for the mass market became especially intense, cosmetic companies were spending up to 80% of their budget on advertising.  By then, their promotional campaigns were extensive: with proper timing and the correct perception of the public mood, it seemed, they could sell almost anything.  So successful had been the cosmetics industry’s earlier manipulation of desires and insecurities that chemical underarm deodorants had found a major market in the 1920s.  Hairspray followed in the 1950s and, more recently, even vaginal deodorant sprays, clearly dangerous to health.”

     “It nevertheless remains clear that, since the 1920s, to be beautiful has involved the adoption of artificial means, whether cosmetics, hair curling, hair coloring, or even plastic surgery.  Obsessed with self in an individualistic, competitive society, some women are willing to display the marks of commercialism as part of their persons.  Only occasionally have they returned to the late nineteenth-century vision of beauty as a spiritual quality….In 1975 beauty shop receipts alone reached $4.7 billion; by 1980 they totaled$7,3 billion.”

Lois W. Banner

     Much of the make-up is focused upon the eyes.  A determined effort is made to make the eye as seductive and glamorous as possible.  Much skill and precision is employed to make it appear “natural.” But everyone knows the naked truth.  The idea is to make it appear that your eyes are big, your cheekbones are high, your nose is thin, your lips are thin, your cheeks aglow with rosiness [a false look of health], your eyebrows thin and haughty-looking, etc….” this fosters vanity, pride, and self-deception.

     All make-up is a false conception of what you really look like.  Therefore, it is a lie!  The one who takes the time and effort to change the plain, unaffected natural beauty of the face admits to everyone that they are not satisfied with the way God made them, so they must “make up” for it.  They will also change their personality to harmonize with their looks [many time without realizing it].  It speaks of a façade and a deception.  And those who love and make a lie will be outside the gates of the city.  See Revelation 22:15

     Make-up is made to attract.  And just what it attracts is not always desirable.

     Many times in my career as a model, actress, and night club singer, I remember I would not take off my make-up for days at a time.  Facing the naked truth of what I really looked like was a dreaded experience.  So then I know from experience that it subtly builds up a feeling of insecurity, or makes a bad feeling of insecurity worse.  However, it is supposed to do just the opposite; make you feel good about yourself.  It doesn’t work, but you pretend it does anyway.  I saw the phony it had made me and I was out there—and didn’t know how to get back.  Will I be accepted without my make-up?  This was the big question in my mind.  I didn’t know what acceptance was and I yearned for it until I met Jesus of Nazareth.  Knowing Him made the difference.  Knowing Him I could look every man and woman straight in the eyes, and say with confidence, Jesus loves me.  With Jesus’, love truly in the heart you don’t worry anymore about what people think or say.  You only want to please Him.

     I must warn you that a little make-up is like taking a little wine, it seems harmless, but what it leads to is devastating and the only one who pays dearly is you.

     As Christians our lives should be clear as crystal.  We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.  Our appearance in our hair, face, style of dress and shoes, should speak of puritan plainness and natural simplicity and beauty.

     After becoming a Christian and stripping myself of all jewelry (a ring on almost every finger, pins, earrings, bracelets, necklaces) and arched eyebrows, nail polish, make-up and wigs.  I literally had to get used to the “new” me all over again.  It was a battle with self all the way.  Only through Christ was I able to overcome this love and obsession with worldly things.

     “The life of nine-tenths of those who are devotees of fashion is a living lie.  Deception, fraud, is their daily practice, for they wish to appear that which they are not.”

E.G. White Messages To Young people 359

     The most important thing to remember about wearing make-up, jewelry, or anything to attract attention to self is, it is done to make “self” appear to be that which it is not!

     It is like an “enemy in the camp.”  So you want to be a Christian?  Certain things work to help you, and certain things work against you.  You will never, ever overcome pride and vanity unless you absolutely rid yourself of all these “enemies in the camp.”  Make-up is like a bad seed in good soil, it will bring forth fruit and you won’t like the harvest.  Resolutely decide by God’s grace to have nothing to do with these enemies and you’ll really begin to accept yourself just as God made you!  In this Christian warfare we need all the help we can get without throwing the door wide open and inviting the enemy in.”

Why Make-up and Jewelry Are Not In Harmony with the Consecrated Christian life!

It is a waste of money.

It fosters pride and vanity in the heart.

It destroys simplicity and modesty of demeanor and appearance.

It covers your natural beauty—as God made you.

It develops feelings of insecurity –you don’t look your “best” without it.

It is a waste of time(making-up).Time (every minute is a talent from God.  Spending half and hour per day, you would waste 182.50 hrs. per year or 7.604 days of time—one whole week per year—applying make-up!

Do you spend that much time reading your Bible every day?

It will lead you into associations that are frivolous and un-Christlike.

It is unhealthy to clog the pores and risk damaging the eyes with dangerous chemicals

And dyes (early known in some cultures as war paint).

Make-up and jewelry are meant to attract, therefore you might attract you know not what!

It is a lie. Satan is the father of lies.  See John 8:44

It destroys love of eternal realities. 

Your Heavenly Father does not like it.

A Prayer of Thanks

Thank you, dear Lord, for the message of dress,

I thought I’d done everything, but this is the ultimate test!

You knew it would be hard for me to do,

To give up my pride, jewelry and hair-dos,

But I love you more, dear Lord, it is true.

I’ll give up anything to have a home with you.

Thank you, dear Lord, for the power and grace to live

A life that is pleasing to you and a holy witness give.

Thank you, dear Lord for showing me this wonderful truth;

I didn’t know it was so important to you.

Praise to Your Holy Name, I really do appreciate

The gentle way You lead me, and your amazing grace.

--Gwen Shorter

Conclusion

     In every aspect of dress, we must begin where the problem resides—the heart, (the mind, the will). This change commences with a converted mind.  Then let us give our heart, dress, diet, music, entertainment, everything to Jesus. He can fix us.  We cannot fix or change ourselves.  This message is for willing hearts, for those who love Jesus supremely; for without Jesus, the message of Christian dress and every other reform is meaningless.

Gwen & Rick Shorter