Unfit to serve?!

Recently, a family member made some comments to me that got me thinking, and seeing denominations in a whole new light. What's the back story? Well, I currently attend my mother's church which is a church that is totally different from the one I grew up in. She has a deliverance ministry and are Pentecostals by denomination. My mum usually asks me to help in certain ministries like the Sunday school and every now and then I dance in the church. However, A conversation was being held in my presence and I was deemed unfit to serve because my appearance physically was not considered to be "Godly and biblical."Why? Because I wear jewelry, my ears are pierced, I braid my hair and put weaves in and the list went on and on. Bible verses were quoted and many biblical references were made.

I sat there in silence and then the statement that I did not expect, came out "God will not use you fully and won't do certain things in your life because of how you are!" As you all may know, I am a big cry baby but most of my tears are usually because I am angry. In that moment it wasn't anger that I felt, I can't even describe the feeling really but I knew I wanted to speak but the words couldn't come out, and it was just these tears falling down my cheeks. It is a conversation I expected to happen, not only did my mother get upset when I pierced my ears when I was younger but her church members constantly pointed me out and made reference to me when they wanted to do certain things. I knew that all these things were going on, so it was not anything new to me. They were upset because their children who wanted to pierce their ears or wear braids would often go to them and say "but the pastor's daughter have them so why can't we!"

Every time I tried to speak on the matter, there was always this voice that kept asking me to be quiet. If it wasn't one thing, it was the other and then the other and I was just sitting there and taking it all in. I prayed and I asked God why He was not letting me speak and all I kept hearing was "be still!" The idea that God will not use you or won't do things for you because of your physical appearance is so far from everything that God stands for and who He is.

May I just say that above all God is love and He loves even those who have not yet come to know Him and accept Him. It is clear that the idea in 1 Timothy 2: 9 -10 is not to "shun anyone or put them aside." Rather it instructs that the wrong kind of ostentation is to be avoided by Christian women. He is not saying that a Christian person can not dress or buy expensive clothing or do their hair but talks about the excessive concern of our appearance at the expense of what's important in our faith walk such as godliness and good works.

Don't get me wrong, some people do take the wearing of jewelry and hairstyles to the extreme but God wants us to take care of the inside as much as we do the outside and take care of it even more because inner beauty is important. 1 Peter 3: 3 - 4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

I am not one to tell anyone what to believe or what not to believe but what I can say is to get to know God and His word for yourself. If God has called you into ministry or to fill in whatever capacity in the church, He will lead you where He wants you to be.

As for me now and ministry, I don't shy away from doing God's work, I dance at different events, and churches, I continue to use my blog, social media and public speaking gigs to remind people of God's Grace and love.

1 Peter 3:15-16

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

1 Peter 4:10-11

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."