Information Related to "You Want to Pierce Your What?"
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In our society today, there are individuals and groups
who represent certain things and ideas by what they say, what they do,
what they wear and even by which parts of the body they pierce. Throughout
successive generations, people who have dedicated their lives to following
God have had to deal with the question of how to present themselves in
their society. This has never been an easy and clear-cut issue.
Even the apostle Paul had to deal with the issue of hair length in the
Corinthian church.
What does God have to say about this, and does it make any difference how we dress and decorate ourselves? Is it appropriate to follow the trends of our society? How do we decide when to "buck" the trends?
I've always noticed (maybe you have too) that if you were born with straight
hair, you would rather have curly hair. If you have brown hair, you want
blond hair. (Is it really true that blonds have more fun?) You don't like
your nose, your eyes and you wish that your body proportions would get
in sync with the current standards, set by whom? Who do we follow
when it comes to trends in society? Are the current trends good trends?
Do we have to follow them? What happens if we don't?
As I grew up, I remember the days of being laughed at, mocked or scorned if I didn't conform to someone else's thinking. I had to learn to have confidence in my own views and beliefs. I had to learn to be confident, bold and to stand on my own. I also learned that when I really stood for something that I believed in, I was usually respected for it. I found that the ones who didn't respect me were very insecure themselves. I hope and pray that you will come to terms with that in your own life.
Rather than worry about what others will say or think, I hope you will choose to do what God says and honor Him in all your decisions. Why should we do this? Because, as 1 John 3:22 says, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (emphasis mine throughout). When we please God, He answers our prayers.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "You Want to Pierce Your What?"
Other Articles by Eric Evans
Teens and peer influence: