Have you seen the girls who have their hair dyed crazy colors lately? Are you one of them? Along with the dyed hair, there's sometimes lots of jewelry adornments, plus make-up with glitter, bright eye shadow, dark eyeliner, false lashes, and even elaborate nail polish. Is this something that Christian girls should be doing? What does the Bible say about dressing up our appearances?
First off, girls, if your parents have told you that they don't want you to dye your hair or wear make-up or jewelry, then you've got to obey as long as you live under their authority (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). If they have given you that freedom, then at this point, it is a decision to be made between you and God.
The Bible says that what God really cares about is the heart—not what's on the outside (1 Samuel 16:7b). At the same time, that doesn't mean that the outside doesn't matter at all. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Paul talks about how women should "dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."
Now, just to clarify that verse, Paul is NOT saying that girls should never wear jewelry, make-up, or do special things to their hair. What he IS saying is that girls should not let their outside appearance take priority over their inner beauty. If a girl is spending more time and money on her outward appearance than she is on becoming a godly woman, then her priorities are probably in the wrong order.
Take a look at 1 Peter 3:3-5, which says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." It is our kindness, love, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, etc. that shows our true beauty—not what color hair or type of jewelry we have.
While there's nothing at all wrong with the act of dying your hair, cutting, curling, or braiding it in a certain way, or wearing make-up and jewelry, feeling pretty on the outside should never be more important than being beautiful on the inside. God loves and values each one of His daughters as a unique and lovely creation, but His deepest desire is for her inner beauty to shine the brightest.
The Bible says that what God really cares about is the heart—not what's on the outside (1 Samuel 16:7b). At the same time, that doesn't mean that the outside doesn't matter at all (1 Timothy 2:9-10). 1 Peter 3:3-5 says that it's our kindness, love, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, etc. that shows our true beauty—not what color hair or type of jewelry we have. So while there's nothing wrong with playing with your hair's appearance, make up, or jewelry, it should not take priority over the more important things, like God, relationships, and responsibilities.
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not writing, cooking, or drawing, she enjoys spending time with her two teenage kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
