How Should Christian women dress up?

“And When Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out of the window“- 2 Kings 1 vs. 30

The background to this passage is that Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab King of Samaria. God placed a curse on her for influencing her husband to plot the murder of an Naboth, the Jezreelite, on trump up charges in order to take over the man’s assets. (Read the full story in 1 Kings 21)

In 2 Kings 1 vs. 30 quoted above, Jehu had come to execute judgment on Jezebel in fulfillment of this divine curse for her grievous sin. Are what did Jezebel do? She put on a Jezebelic dressing in order to entice Jehu.

What is a Jezebelic dressing and what makes a dressing Jezebelic? If we carefully study this passage, there are four sequential actions that are ascribed to Jezebel:

She heard of Jehu’s coming

She painted her face.

She tired her head.

She looked out of the window.

There is no where in this passage that painting of face and tiring of head is condemned. But the lesson we can learn here is that Jezebel painted her face and tired her head, after she heard of Jehu’s approach.

The intent therefore is to entice Jehu with her dressing in order to save her life. Jezebel wanted to seduce Jehu, but this failed as Jehu eventually ordered her execution.

The lesson that can be learnt from this passage is that though the Bible does not expressly condemn Painting of face by women with various beauty makeup or adorning various kinds of hair do, what is important is your heart and intention.

What is your intention in wearing a make up or putting on a hair do? Is it to entice or seduce men? Or you simply want to look beautiful.

God works and judges us on the basis of our heart intentions. So, next time you are dressing up for an outing or for work, search you heart to determine whether the intention is right before God. If the intention is the same as Jezebel’s, ..to lead other into sin, then retrace your steps.