Balanced & Beautiful
Dressing for the Glory of God
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CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!
by Laurel Damsteegt, Part 7
Now and then sincere
followers of Christ get the idea that if they are real
Christians, they shouldn’t care how they look. Feeling quite
virtuous, they let their hair get greasy and stringy, wear
clothes that are stained and ripped, and clump around in shoes
so shabby that the soles flap with each step.
If you’ve ever wondered if we must “let ourselves go” in
order to be real Christians, take note: Simplicity is not
slovenliness! God wants everything about us to be neat and
clean. Before He spoke to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, God
told Moses, “Go unto the people, . . . and let them wash their
clothes.”1 Over and over again, in the sanctuary services, He
asked the people to “wash and be clean.”2 And before the
priests could minister in the sanctuary, they had to clean their
bodies and wash their clothes.3 God took the trouble to spell
these things out, because they were important to Him.
He has given even more detailed instructions for us today:
“The young should be encouraged to form correct habits in
dress, that their appearance may be neat and attractive; they
should be taught to keep their garments clean and neatly mended.
All their habits should be such as to make them a help and
comfort to others.”4
“It is important also that the clothing be kept clean. The
garments worn absorb the waste matter that passes off through
the pores; if they are not frequently changed and washed, the
impurities will be reabsorbed.”5
“God is not pleased to see [us] with unclean bodies and
untidy, torn garments. . . . Having the clothing neat and clean
will be one means of keeping the thoughts pure and sweet. . . .
Especially should every article which comes in contact with the
skin be kept clean.”6
• Sewing on a button takes minutes—and makes a huge
difference in the appearance of your clothes.
• Sew up those small rips before they grow. Stock a basket
with scissors, different colors of thread, needles, and an
assortment of buttons. When an item of clothing needs repair,
add it to the basket. Make it a practice to mend these items
when you are talking on the phone or otherwise just sitting.
• Safety pins are for emergencies. Make proper repairs as soon
as possible.
• Stains, spots, and wrinkles have no place on a Christian’s
garments—or in his character!7
Pre-treat all stains before
washing, and make it a practice to iron your clothes as soon as
they come out of the laundry. While traveling, take a small
sewing kit and a travel iron or steamer so you can stay neat and
tidy.
But what about when we’re at home? Can’t we slouch there?
After all, it’s just family! Here’s something written
especially for wives and mothers, but the principle applies to
all of us:
“Sisters, when about their work, should not put on clothing
which would make them look like images to frighten the crows
from the corn. It is more gratifying to their husbands and
children to see them in a becoming, well-fitting attire than it
can be to mere visitors or strangers. Some wives and mothers
seem to think it is no matter how they look when about their
work and when they are seen only by their husbands and children,
but they are very particular to dress in taste for the eyes of
those who have no special claims upon them. Is not the esteem
and love of husband and children more to be prized than that of
strangers or common friends?”8
Whether at home or abroad, a dirty, messy Christian is not a fit
representative of Christ. Your grandmother was right, after all,
when she told you, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”! Of
course, if we are laying bricks or digging in the garden we are
bound to accumulate some dirt. But when we’re finished, we don’t
need to stay dirty. For a Christian, uncleanliness should simply
not be an option.
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1. Exodus 19:10.
2. See Leviticus 13:34; 14:8; 15:8; 17:15; and many other
similar references.
3. See Leviticus 16:4; Numbers 8:20, 21.
4. Ellen White, Child Guidance, page 419.
5. Ibid., page 109.
6. White, My Life Today, page 129.
7. Ephesians 5:27.
8. White, The Adventist Home, pages 252, 253.
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