One of my favorite verses...

"Women should dorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self control.
~ 1 Timothy 2:9

I think that is a very important verse. Not only are we to dress respectively and modestly, we need to have self-control! The NIV says:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes.

Does this mean that God doesn't want us young ladies to wear earrings? Or bracelets? Or necklaces? I don't think that's what it means. I think it means not to wear them excessively. This is something that I would consider excessive jewelry:

This jewelry is very beautiful, but it also looks very expensive.

"...not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes."

So why do us girls tend to wear more flashy, bold, beautiful jewelry? And actually, not just jewelry. Clothes, and even electronics. Why? Probably because there's someone out there we hope to impress. That's why we spend hours every morning trying to figure out what to wear. That's why we buy the coolest phones, and the latest video games. That's why we buy jewelry that is so bright, it could light a room. Really. I don't wear make-up, I don't wear big, bulky jewelry. I'm not trying to impress anyone. So why do I argue with myself wondering if I should wear my green shirt or my blue shirt? Why do I brush my hair before I leave the house? That's an easy one. I don't want to be in town looking like a slob! So why do I do all that stuff? I think God wants us to look nice. Beautiful even! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body,"

I think that answers a couple questions. Don't wreck your body just because God doesn't want you to wear "braided hair, gold or pearls, or expensive clothes". I don't believe that God wants you to look like a slob and not be presentable. For "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit", and "therefore honor God with your body". The God's Word translation says:

I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear.

So you see, your beauty is not what you wear, or how you look, but what you do! You can be the most popular girl in school, wear all the coolest, most expensive clothes, and adorn yourself with the most beautiful jewelry, but if you do nothing, all your beauty is worthless. So no, you don't have to sell all your clothes and work at the Salvation Army 24/7. But do go out and do good! Help a neighbor, mow the lawn for your Dad, and even help out at the Salvation Army for an afternoon :)

Propriety: your true nature.

Don't buy a whole new wardrobe for a 'new you'. God loves you just the way you are! Don't change a thing about you!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
~Psalm 139:14

When the NIV said "...not with braided hair...", I was wondering, 'what's wrong with braided hair?'. Nothing! Then God's Word translation says, "...not by their hair styles...". So braiding your hair isn't bad. But excessive hair styles are well, excessive...

Some more excessive that others (This has nothing to do with what I've been talking about, but would you look at that??? That is so crazy!).

I think I've made my point, which was:

"Women should dorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self control.
~ 1 Timothy 2:9

Maybe I'll pick up on this again later, but for now, I'm closing this post. I hope you all enjoyed! Have a wonderful day!