Women have for ages, been so concerned about their outward appearance compared to men. They are not only judged by many but by themselves. We have been so hard on ourselves and always wanted to present the best of us.

In the Bible we see the mention of the women attire, jewelry and even perfume but rare mention here and there of the men’s attire or dress code. Different attire represented different status of the woman; whether she was married; a virgin or even widowed. In the same way in different cultures the woman’s attire varies and represents different things.

In our modern society we see the same strict views or expectations on the woman’s attire. The media presents us with all sorts of suggestions when it comes to the women’s attire or outward appearance; what should be the ideal weight, size or even height. This, over the decades has had a negative impact on how the woman perceives herself.

How about TV shows where they almost arrest women for not dressing according to the current trends, and giving them an extreme make over to how they should look. It’s amazing how after just a new wardrobe, make up and a new haircut, these women on the show tend to feel more confident, more attractive and even more loving towards themselves.

Most women see their worth and self-esteem through what they wear or what their outside appearance portrays. This should not be the case though, because regardless of what we wear or how we look the Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully created by God. Psalms 139:14

In Genesis when God was creating the universe, everything He created he evaluated His work and saw that it was good. We should therefore never allow anyone to tell us otherwise. Our society rarely promotes or even talks of inner beauty; which in my opinion is the most valuable part of our being.

No wonder the Bible comes and points this issue in I Pet 3:3-4. Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

You see the devil is always concerned by outward appearance that is striking to everyone, but God. Outward appearance is the world’s standard of measurement but God likes to dig deep in our hearts and to see what lies underneath. We should dress to please God after all we belong to Him.

If we need to change our wardrobe it should be the inner one. Let us get rid of all those old clothes of hatred, envy, jealousy strife that are outdated and went well with our old sinful self, and instead clothe ourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit that is ready to receive instruction from the Lord. This will be like a sweet perfume to all those around us.

Let us promote inner beauty among other women, and especially our young children that are already struggling to fit in. Next time you see a woman don’t judge her by how she is dressed, instead take the time to say hi and get to know her inner beauty, which I believe each of us has.