Thursday, June 28, 2007

Why Do I Wear Dresses Only...

{{transferred from previous blog...
originally posted August 12, 2006}}


I have been asked this question

many times and twice this past week,
so I thought I would share

my testimony and convictions as a post.

Before I begin, however, I would like to say
that I am, in no way, judging those

that do or do not wear dresses only.
If the Lord has not convicted you to wear dresses only,

that is between you and the Lord.
If the Lord has convicted you to wear dresses only,

then that, also, is between you and the Lord.
If the Lord is currently convicting you to wear dresses only,

then, again, that is between you and the Lord.

Please do not leave a comment debating this with me.
This is simply how the Lord worked

in my own heart concerning this issue.


I have started and re-started this

many times the past few days,
praying the Lord would direct me

in what details to share.
I began giving a long, extended testimony

that began from youth, however,
the Lord pressed upon my heart to simply share
the Truth that He revealed to me.

I had struggled with this area for quite some time

when I first began walking with the Lord.
I was growing spiritually in other areas

but didn't really want to look into this area too much
because I really didn't know that I wanted to give up

wearing my pants and some of my other 'favorite' clothes,
if that's what I discovered that He wanted me to do.
But the Lord continued to work in my heart
and allowed situations and conversations

to 'come up' about this topic.

I read "this" article and "that" article.

One said "this"... one said "that".
I, also, saw this issue contrasted in 'godly' women.
I became quite confused with what was right.
I knew God's way was the right way

so I stopped reading "this" and "that",
stopped looking at other 'godly' women and what they did,
and determined to find the answer in God's Word Itself.
I prayed to the Lord and confessed

that I loved wearing my pants and other clothing
and couldn't really imagine giving them up

and that I didn't really want to.
And I asked Him to show me His will in this area
and that my heart would be tender and not rebellious,
that my heart would not deceive myself,
that I would not try to justify "this" or "that",
that I would not try to "look into" this or that verse
and explain or rationalize it away
but that I would simply take Him at His Word and obey.

He brought me to these Scriptures,

which spoke very clearly to me:
(emphasis added by me)

"The woman shall not wear
that which pertaineth unto a man,
neither shall a man put on a woman's garment:
for all that do so

are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
~ Deutoronomy 22:5

"In like manner also,

that women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety;
not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"

~ 1 Timothy 2:9


God's Word is very clear.

Especially in Deutoronomy 22:5.
That verse cannot be mistaken.
I also thought on and considered

when and why women even began wearing pants.
I'm sure there were many driving forces
but I doubted that any of them were

to honor and obey the Lord.

I also thought about how God wants us

to be separated from the world.
And paid attention to the world's view of women,

which is opposite of God's.
I saw how often people tend to associate

modest, long flowing dresses with godliness.
Is it right? It doesn't matter.

The point is that many people do.
Just as our music, drinking, recreation,

entertainment, and lifestyle should be different,
so should our appearance.
We represent a Heavenly King.

We are daughters of that King. We are princesses.
As Christians, we reprensent Christ.


In addition,

I admitted that my reasoning for wearing pants
was, well, because I liked them and I could wear them.
I rationalized all kinds of reasons that I should wear them,
but it was selfish and it was my own desire.
And I soon learned it was not the Lord's desire for me.
Another thing the Lord brought to my mind
was the issue of causing a brother in Christ to stumble.
Whether we like it or not, men are visual creatures.

They are stimulated visually.
We may not be able to control their thoughts,
but we definately control whether or not

we make it easier for them
or encourage those thoughts.
I also realized that my main focus

in getting dressed in the morning
was because I wanted to look nice, etc...
Not that there is anything wrong with looking nice,
but my driving force and main goal

should be to wear what He wants me to wear,
to wear what brings Him honor and glory,
not what brings me comfort, satisfaction, or praise.

But above all those things,

I simply took God at His Word
and thanked Him for answering my prayer

in revealing it to me simply.

I, then, knew what I needed to do.
So I, reluctantly, disposed of (almost) all of my pants,
all except my very favorite two pairs.
But soon after,

the Lord convicted me that I was wrong
to hold on to those 'favorites',
that I was not truly giving Him my all,
and I truly did not surrender this area to Him,

nor was I obeying.
After all, partial obedience IS disobedience.
God speaks very clearly about

lukewarm, wishy washy Christians:
"So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth."

~ Revelation 3:16

He also revealed to me

that He does not convict someone in 'halves'.
He wants our all... our whole heart.
I knew there was no reason

for me to hold on to the "what if" pair of pants.
It is not God's will or desire

that I wear dresses only in public.
That would be for 'show'. That would be hypocrisy.
He wants me to be at home

what I am in public and vice versa.
So I repented and disposed of my final pairs of pants
and have faithfully been dresses only since.
I have never regretted it either.
And the Lord has blessed me in this obedience,

as He does with all obedience.
He has also given me many opportunities

to share my testimony
and encourage others that struggle in this area.

It's a difficult thing to give up our own wants and desires.
But God tells us that we need to die to ourselves
( "...I die daily."

~ 1 Corinthians 15:31";
"...that our old man is crucified with him..."

~ Romans 6:6)
and we need to seek Him with our WHOLE heart
("Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart."

~ Psalm 119:2;
"With my whole heart have I sought thee..."

~ Psalm 119:10)

I praise the Lord He worked

in my own heart in this area
and pray I will always seek His will

with my whole heart in all things,
that I will always have

a tender heart and a teachable spirit.



"Give me understanding,
and I shall keep thy law;
yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart."

~ Psalm 119:34

25 comments:

Madeleine said...

How encouraging.

I also am a dresses/skirts only person, but I started for entirely different reasons.

My husband would always comment how pretty I looked whenever I wore dresses. It took about 12 years of him saying this when it finally hit me. He Likes it! Alot!

I know, if I had a brain I could be dangerous!! lol.

Then the thought occured to me that it is such a simple thing to do for him. I love him, so after all, why not do this for him?

I slowly started wearing dresses more often, and changing over my wardrobe. It been about 10 years since I've been dresses/skirts only.

Chloe is about 90%, as she owns sweat pants and 1 pair of jeans. She is a runner ( doing her first 1/2 marathon this October!!!) And she hardly ever wears her jeans. I always wonder if I should "make" her, but decided at this point, The Lord must convict her heart Himself. She is going to be 19 this summer, and has a good head on her shoulders. Though I must say, she is always "encouraged" when she is wearing her skirts.

This was a good blog. Thanks! ~madeleine

Madeleine said...

PS, People are always asking me also why I wear dresses/skirts only, and I wish I had a noble, holy reason like yours. :) Though I don;t disagree with anything you have posted.

I just end up saying "'cause my husband likes it" And it never ceases to shock people.

Oh well.

Mrs. S said...

Thank you for sharing this. I have been wearing mostly skirts since a year ago, but still hold onto some pants. This is something I need to pray about.

I appreciate your honesty and sincerity in all of your posts. You always greatly encourage and convict.

Blessings,
Mrs. S.

Tracy said...

Thank you for this post, too. I've been wearing lots of skirts/dresses for about 2 years, but haven't worn pants since Christmas. I love the way that I feel in a skirt, or a dress. And my husband loves it. But mostly, I feel that it pleases the LORD. I do not make my two daughters follow my example, for my husband has not stated that he would like me to. They see me, and dress like me several times a week. I pray that the LORD will cause them to "see" for themselves.

Unknown said...

Christina,

Thanks for the post. I have not worn pants for about 15 years and sometimes I forget that I ever did. I can't imagine wearing them, now. I have never had anyone ask me why, though. I was slowly convicted over the period of about a year and have never looked back. My dresses have gotten longer over the years, too. They now are ankle-length and very full. I also love cape dresses, even though I am not mennonite or amish. They are just the most comfortable thing to me. All one piece and I don't have to worry about anything, like jumpers. I know a lot of people love jumpers, but they irritate me, because there is more than one piece and I have to keep track of them. LOL! :-D Thanks for this post!

In Christ,

Ginny

Sharon said...

Christina,
I want to thank you for posting this. This has been on my mind a lot for the past several months. I have been looking for more skirts and dresses to wear and slowly changing over my wardrobe. I suppose I need to "just do it". I have mostly worn pants all my life except when going to church. I've always held to a strict rule (my own) to only wear skirts or dresses in church out of respect to God. I'm sure he'd like the same respect all the time.
Thank you so much for your honesty on this subject.

Amy ~ (Life's Small Treasures) said...

Amen!!!! My girls and I have been skirts/dresses only for 4 years now, and I am so thankful the Lord spoke to my heart in this area too.

Growing up we were not allowed to wear pants, but it was NEVER a conviction of mine, and soon as I got older I chose to to start wearing pants, and never thought twice about it. Four years ago our church got a new Pastor and he began preaching on dress, and I went to him and told him I would start wearing skirts only out of respect, but was going to study the subject out for myself (something I had never done) and so I began reading, and the Lord began convicting my heart. And soon together with my husband we began weeding out all of our pants including PJ pants for my girls because they would wear them to bed, and then not get dressed just change the PJ top to a regular top and we saw a sign of rebellion at a young age so we put a stop to that. Now that they know better we have allowed them to wear PJ pants under their nightgowns during the cold Michigan winters. We have not had a problem since.

I am so thankful the Lord still works on our hearts~

Thanks for this post!
Have a wonderful weekend.

HsKubes said...

Madeleine ~ My beloved likes me in dresses, too. ;o) It's always a blessing when we have an opportunity to please them.

Mrs. S ~ It was something I had to approach in prayer, too. Thank you for your kind words. They were a blessing to me.

Tracy ~ Yes, it is an important thing to pray for our children in this area, too, as we pray for ourselves.

Ginny ~ I sometimes forget, too, that I ever wore pants. It seems like it was so long ago. I, too, have liked my dresses longer and longer over the years. All of he dresses I sew now are ankle-length and usually a 6-panel skirt for fullness. I still have a few jumpers that I have sewn but I have found that wearing the shirt underneath is sometimes a hassle so I have been trying to sew more dresses. I have not, yet, tried a cape dress though I have contemplated it many times. Thank you for sharing. ;o)

Sharon ~ I am glad this was a blessing. I find it so interesting how the Lord works. I had stuggled with some of what you mentioned, too. I was thankful when He revealed His Truths to me when I decided to seek Him with my whole heart. Said a prayer for you.

Amy ~ Praise the Lord that He works in our hearts on a personal level. I struggled with this, too. I wanted to wear dresses because HE wanted/commanded me to, not because it was 'just the way it was'. I am so thankful He didn't just leave me where I was in this area.
I understand what you mean about the rebellion in the heart of your child. We, too, encountered this issue and through prayer, removal of the temptation, and training, the Lord worked this issue out. Praise Him!

Thank you, ladies, for sharing your thoughts, experiences, and comments. They were a blessing to read!

~ Christina

Cherish the Home said...

Christina,

I really enjoyed reading this, thanks for sharing. I'm a 'dresses/skirts only' lady too. The LORD convicted me of this shortly after I was saved. I have my testimony on my blog too.

Blessings,
~Mrs.B

HsKubes said...

Mrs. B ~ Thank you for sharing yours. I enjoyed reading it, too. ;o)

~ Christina

Anonymous said...

Well, I am the only one who isn't a dresses/skirt only. I will not debate at all. I find it interesting. I've read this before and I do like how I feel in dresses but truthfully, in New England it get REALLY cold and the styles of dresses are so flimsy today. I can't sew a stitch so making my own is kinda out of the question. I don't have the money to invest in such materials and machinery.

I also like pants for there ease. I will say that I do not feel convicted one way or the other on pants vs. skirts and neither dose my husband. I will say that I feel convicted on the styles! My goodness if they get more revealing today I might as well go naked! I am currently pregnant and there is only one maternity shop here. GOOD GRIEF!! I cannot believe how revealing these things are! The cleavage! The bellies!

Now, I am older so revealing anything is really humorous! I don't but I have so opted to wear maternity pants and cotton shirts as I can find them so as not to be hanging out!!

Thanks for posting this though. I am going to give it more thought and prayer. I will ask my husband too. I know he doesn't care but it's always good to check in! As for modesty! I am with you all the way. Even dresses can be revealing and exciting, caution should be the rule of the day and you are right, whom are we trying to please?

Great food for thought! Thanks!

Bethany

Emily said...

Awesome, well written, thought provoking article, thanks for sharing! May I put a link to this article in the sidebar of my blog? If you do not answer, I wont put it in. I will wait until you let me know if you are ok with this. My blog address is: http://walkinginfaith-emily.blogspot.com/

Modesty is an area God is currently working in my heart on.

Emily

dtbrents said...

I enjoyed reading your post. I only wear dresses to church. One of my friends wears dresses daily. It's a great way to be a role model for your children. Doylene

Anonymous said...

You are so right that the decision has to come from the Lord's conviction... I grew up Pentecostal - we wore dresses each day - up until I went to college and started wearing Jeans... In my church, I always thought it was a form of doctrine and control - that some of the meanest women I knew would scorn women who wore pants and were very critical of others.
God wants us to be loving as saints - yet, as their dresses swept the floor - these same women shunned the lost. It was quite sad to see. I grew up, and today I still wear slacks, but have the love of Christ and have grown stronger in the Lord in winning souls to the kingdom. I thank God for your post. Women who choose to wear skirts and those who choose not to wear them everyday, but are serving God with all their hearts is what God admires.
There were childhood friends who grew up rebellious towards wearing skirts each day and were horribly teased in school. Their mental state towards the church caused them to run from the church, and they are lost today, without the savior.
As moms, we must be careful with our girl children. We must be examples of living a life for Jesus.
Again, thank you for sharing. You have blessed many women.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts so openly. I was praying this morning that the Lord would show me what's on His heart for me today and He lead me to this site. (I've never been to your site before.) I've recently changed to dresses/skirts only after the Lord's gentle and very patient promptings. He had been speaking to me about this for quite some time and it was only after I ended up in a cast this summer that He really got my attention. Suddenly it made a lot of sense to wear dresses, it was way easier! Now I love wearing them, it feels like "me!".
I tried on my jeans a couple of weeks ago and found that I didn't like the looks or the feel of them on me, so I packed them away along with some other inappropriate clothing the Lord brought to my attention. I did however hold onto a couple of my favorite pairs. I knew the Lord was speaking to me about those last two of pairs but I was coming up with all kinds of "reasons"(excuses) to keep them. ("just in case"). But the Lord is soooo good and faithful! He used your article as if He Himself were speaking directly to me addressing the issues of my heart. I'll be getting rid of those last two pairs today!! Thank you again for your obedience and courage to write what the Lord put on your heart!

Anonymous said...

This was very encouraging. You don't see many women stand up for the way God can work in your life if you will let him

Anonymous said...

Hello! Thank you for writing this! I've decided to start wearing more and more dresses till I phase out my jeans and pants (I'm a college students, so I can't just buy a whole new wardrobe) But I'm having some real trouble finding modest dresses for 20 year old that aren't super expensive!

Then I thought, oh, well, I'll just learn to make dresses, but I don't have a sewing machine.. is it totally ridiculous to think I could hand sew dresses?

Sorry for the rant, I guess my questions are:
1) Where can one find modest youthful dresses?
2) How difficult/impossible is to hand sew a dress?

Thank you!

Anna said...

Hello, I grew up in a no pants home, and it even was no shorts for the boys.. My dad was and still is a Pastor. I went to Bible college and then moved to take a job in Tn. Once on my own and under the influence of people I went to church with and worked with I began wearing pants. I never would wear them around my father or at Church. I then was married and moved to Atlanta area and it was a Wonderful church but capris and pants were for everything but church services. So I have been wearing them a while, but always in my mind is the verses you posted and the question 'why my father chose not to let us wear them?" I still wear them but must tell you your blog has really touched me to start reading and studying to see if God is trying to show me something. I did move back to close to parents and I wear them a lot less because of seeing family all the time but I haven't given them totally up. On a side note I also plan to start homeschooling my oldest daughter in the fall. Keep me in your prayers for many decisions to be made! Thank you so much for your honesty and testimony. Has been a great blessing- especially since the only reason I found you was my daughter is singing "A Mothers Gentle Love" for mothers day with some girls and wanted to hear the song and the computer led me to your site. God works in Mysterious WAYS! :-)

Anonymous said...

I only wear skirts and dresses. Being feminine, lady like and an obedient wife is something I strive for everyday and the way I dress clearly shows my position in my household. In my household my husband has full authority and I carry myself with grace and in a meek and quiet spirit wearing my skirts and dresses. I would love it if more women were to only wear skirts and dresses and live in full obedience to their husbands.

Wasatch Wife said...

I really like this post a lot! You and I have a similar experience in this arena. I also held onto a few "favorite" pants for a while! lol! I look back now at how silly that was, but it was a serious thing for me then. You know, you are EXACTLY right about giving our WHOLE heart. It is often hard to do that when the world is consistently telling you that you are wrong. We must set ourselves apart by the Word. I love this post! You are a great encouragement my friend! ;D Thank you! ;D Sara (Ma)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this matter!

I have been waffling back and forth over the past year over this issue. Pride is such an issue...sometimes I would feel so frumpy next to all the fashionably dressed ladies, and whenever I wear skirts or dresses, I look 10 lbs heavier...

but I have had a few men approach me and tell me that as Christians, they appreciated seeing a lady in modest dress. and there is no doubt that I'm treated with more respect when i'm dressed modestly.

i looked to my husband for advice, but he is ambivalent about the issue. he's military, too (navy) and has said that it's nice to come home to girly girl (what he calls me when i'm in my skirt phase, lol). he also likes to say that God is not the author of confusion; that His Will is pretty plain if we just stop trying to justify our selfish wants...

to the college student who posted above...try thrift shops or Goodwill stores. it is such a pain trying to find jeans at a thrift shop (there's so many fits and styles), but it's a breeze to find skirts, because you only have to worry about the waist fitting!

thanks again for this post, and may God bless you and your family! :)

Rambling Ceejay said...

As I read this, I am sitting in a pair of pants. We are heading to the store in a little while.
The lord has been really putting this on my heart lately, in conversations, at church ect. My husband seems to respect me differently while I am in a skirt/ dress so this is a bonus. Wow, long skirts really are comfortable (while I only have one at this time). I do find that I am a quieter spirit and more patient while in a dress. I guess its tough to not act like a lady in a dress. The lord has really been working in me lately and boy do I need it!! The issue of modesty, and how to dress.
I am fighting him, but I have started surrendering last night to him. I am struggling with giving it my all. I am a VERY heavily tattooed mom of 3. Now, I like my tattoos- don't get me wrong. I love art. I was not a christian when I got them. I have started to regret them, but mainly because my heart is somewhere else now. My heart was not being directed. It will be interesting. I think I will pop in here from time to time and just check out your blog. BTW, the music on this blog is AMAZING! What is it. It moves me to tears.

Jane said...

What a beautiful posting on modesty and what a lovely blog!
I sell a variety of modest dresses on ebay and etsy, just in case if anybody is interested?
My sellername is mennonitemom on both.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mennonitemom
Blessings to you!

Anonymous said...

I love your post on wearing skirts and dresses all the time. I began wearing skirts two years ago and have been doing so since, except for when I go for my morning walk, I am not sure what kind of skirt to wear when I go for my daily walk, I work up a sweat when I do go for my walks so I end up wearing sweat pants instead, any suggestions on what kind of skirt would be suitable for working out in? Thank you sister.

God bless you
Susan

Anonymous said...

I never thought my love of fashion would keep me from obeying God. Im really struggling right now with this. i partially obeyed God as well and kept shorts,leggings,my fav jeans...(DISOBEDIENT ME!) but He allowed me to see this for a reason. I even asked if i had a real say in anything that happens in my life...I do. but i see now that i would rather be in His will.. pray for me saints that i let God have his way in my life.

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