1Corinthians 10
12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.
Christian Liberty
23 “Everything is permissible,”[j][k] but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,”[l] but not everything builds up. 24 No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.
25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.[m] 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake.[n] 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanks, why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. 32 Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 11Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
Instructions about Head Coverings
2 Now I praise you[a] because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman,[b] and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. 6 So if a woman’s head[c] is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.
7 A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory,but woman is man’s glory. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. 10 This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her[d] as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other[e] custom, nor do the churches of God.
The Lord’s Supper
17 Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 There must, indeed, be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore, when you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! 22 Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 gave thanks, broke it, and said,[f] “This is My body, which is[g] for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
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Now many of you are probably in the same position I was about a year ago, stumbling across a blog post or facebook post about headcovering, and feeling kind of uncomfortable, because it hasn't been on your radar, and you don't really want it to be.
I associated headcovering with mennonite and amish communities, and more legalistic people and environments, and it wasn't something I felt I needed to do.
Now, praise God, I wear a headcovering all the time. I'm not going to tell you that the headcovering itself is some kind of catch-all that will protect you from all kinds of evil and harm, because that's the same as using it like an amulet or a good luck charm to ward away evil--and that's definitely very sinful, and something I had to repent of, and ask for God's forgiveness.
But God bringing me to obedience in this matter, humbling me, and strengthening to me to obey against the flow has been absolutely pivotal in His refining of me, and growing me to become the kind of woman He wants me to be, the woman that is defined in and by the Bible.
This post is not going to be an in-depth research and argumentative piece, talking about all the objections to headcovering, interpretations of the passage, etc.
I felt God telling me to share my story tonight of what He has done in my life in the area of headcovering, and then later, as the Holy Spirit leads and gives me words to say, write a more in-depth piece.
Basically, a little over a year ago, headcovering was brought to my attention. I don't remember exactly my first exposure that really spurred me to start looking into the topic, but I know a blogger I read supported 'The Headcovering Movement' and initially, I must admit, I scoffed. I thought they were brainwashed, I thought they were repressed, and I honestly felt glad I didn't "have" to wear a headcovering like they did. It seemed bizarre to me. Why did they feel like they had to cover their heads at church? I didn't even really understand where it was all coming from.
Now I don't remember what God used initially make me start paying attention, but I remember I was looking into the topic more last summer and starting to do some serious consideration.
One way or another, God led me to look up headcovering and it's reference in the Bible. Once I read the passage copied above, I believe that's when it became more serious to me. Now it wasn't a question of personal preference or 'this group of people just decides to do this, and that's fine for them but we don't have to'--it's actually in the Bible. And seems to be commanded in the Bible pretty strongly, and to be punished harshly if it is disobeyed. If women don't cover their heads while praying or prophesying, their heads should be shaved, or cut off? That shook me when I first read it. I couldn't believe that was in the Bible. But there it was. Now it wasn't a question of 'is this something I feel led to do,' it was, 'is this really what the Bible commands, is this what is true?' Because if something is commanded by God, in the Bible, it doesn't matter how culturally irrelevant it is, or how much I don't want to do it, or what everyone else says or does, it needs to be done. God needs to be obeyed regardless of the circumstances. If something is the truth, it cannot be twisted or bent to suit our own, or the culture's norms or desires. It is the truth, and must be followed/obeyed.
I began tentatively covering, very worried and fearful about what my family or other people would say or think. However, I soon fell off of headcovering full time, figuring if I wasn't quite sure if that was what I was supposed to do, I wouldn't inconvenience myself in the meantime.
So while I was in the middle of avoiding research and trying to convince myself I didn't need to cover, God used the testimony of a friend of mine to bring headcovering to my attention as well. She had started headcovering off and on, and God gave her the boldness to mention it in a setting with myself and a couple of other friends from college. The fact that someone brought up the topic, and stated that headcovering was Biblical, in exactly the timeframe that God was using to bring headcovering to my attention seemed to me to be a confirmation that this was something I needed to look into.
God used that confirmation, combined with the fact that headcovering is talked about in the Bible, and other resources and testimonies from blogs and websites to convict me that I could no longer remain a spectator, or a casual researcher of the topic. Either this was a command from God that needed to be obeyed, or it wasn't, and I needed to know which it was.
Arguments against headcovering, or interpretations of the passage that allowed for people not to cover just seemed to me to be really taking liberties with the passage and twisting scripture to suit our desires and our culture. There isn't any firm 'out' in the passage. I've looked, trust me, there isn't. There are a few tentative legs to stand on in arguments against, but there is nothing in scripture that clearly states we don't have to or shouldn't headcover.
For a while I wrestled, went back and forth, and struggled with covering in public. I would cover when I prayed in private, but always yank it off if my family happened to see me praying with it on, and I never really wore one in public.However, in around March or early April of this year, God really convicted me that I needed to be all in. The Bible says to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5) and I, as a woman, Biblically could not pray in public without covering my head in some way without rebelling against the Lord and being sinful. I look back on this years later, and am wondering how much of this conviction was from the Lord, and how much of it was things I was struggling with on my own. I still headcover when I pray, but wonder if God requires us women to do it all the time. Food for thought and prayer.
So I started headcovering full time, Praise God! The only time I 'relapsed' to off and on covering, were certain moments at our Church's youth group where I wanted to be "relevant" to the girls I was working with, and when I got a new job, because I was pretty sure headcovering wasn't "business casual." But even then, God was merciful and convicted me, and now I headcover all the time at work, and it's such a blessing.
I can't tell you how much God has done in my life since He finally got me to surrender and submit and headcover full time.
So much vanity was taken from me, along with self-consciousness, fear of man, an unhealthy desire to conform and "please" others (not with my words and actions, but with my looks and conforming to to societal standards. Obviously we need to try to keep peace and be pleasant to others when we can, and when truth allows.), as well as God growing me in true Biblical womanhood. God also helped me obey much more boldly in areas where I struggled before, because if He helped me wear a cloth or a hat on my head all the time, even when I was initially terrified to do so, He could help me in other situations where fear used to grip me. I'm not saying headcovering is some kind of spiritual catch-all, where if you wear a headcovering you automatically become a perfect Christian. The headcovering is just a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of authority, that we, as women of God, are submitted to God, and one day, to our husbands. The headcovering didn't make me humble or bold or gentle or anything like that, but God used obedience in that area to grow me in others ways.
Sisters, headcovering is such a blessing. God is so good, and when we follow His commands, there is not "bad" outcome. Sure, it may be initially difficult, and just because we're following God doesn't mean our lives will be perfect. But my sisters, I would strongly urge you, even if you're repulsed by the idea, to pray about it, research it, and don't just write it off. Please don't do what I did, and disobey and waffle for a long time before finally giving in to God. Submit more quickly than I did. It's so worth it, I'm not looking back, and I know you won't either!
Thanks for reading, I'll be praying God uses this in your life! As He leads, I will write a longer and more in depth post.
To God alone be the glory,
Ariana
I associated headcovering with mennonite and amish communities, and more legalistic people and environments, and it wasn't something I felt I needed to do.
Now, praise God, I wear a headcovering all the time. I'm not going to tell you that the headcovering itself is some kind of catch-all that will protect you from all kinds of evil and harm, because that's the same as using it like an amulet or a good luck charm to ward away evil--and that's definitely very sinful, and something I had to repent of, and ask for God's forgiveness.
But God bringing me to obedience in this matter, humbling me, and strengthening to me to obey against the flow has been absolutely pivotal in His refining of me, and growing me to become the kind of woman He wants me to be, the woman that is defined in and by the Bible.
This post is not going to be an in-depth research and argumentative piece, talking about all the objections to headcovering, interpretations of the passage, etc.
I felt God telling me to share my story tonight of what He has done in my life in the area of headcovering, and then later, as the Holy Spirit leads and gives me words to say, write a more in-depth piece.
Basically, a little over a year ago, headcovering was brought to my attention. I don't remember exactly my first exposure that really spurred me to start looking into the topic, but I know a blogger I read supported 'The Headcovering Movement' and initially, I must admit, I scoffed. I thought they were brainwashed, I thought they were repressed, and I honestly felt glad I didn't "have" to wear a headcovering like they did. It seemed bizarre to me. Why did they feel like they had to cover their heads at church? I didn't even really understand where it was all coming from.
Now I don't remember what God used initially make me start paying attention, but I remember I was looking into the topic more last summer and starting to do some serious consideration.
One way or another, God led me to look up headcovering and it's reference in the Bible. Once I read the passage copied above, I believe that's when it became more serious to me. Now it wasn't a question of personal preference or 'this group of people just decides to do this, and that's fine for them but we don't have to'--it's actually in the Bible. And seems to be commanded in the Bible pretty strongly, and to be punished harshly if it is disobeyed. If women don't cover their heads while praying or prophesying, their heads should be shaved, or cut off? That shook me when I first read it. I couldn't believe that was in the Bible. But there it was. Now it wasn't a question of 'is this something I feel led to do,' it was, 'is this really what the Bible commands, is this what is true?' Because if something is commanded by God, in the Bible, it doesn't matter how culturally irrelevant it is, or how much I don't want to do it, or what everyone else says or does, it needs to be done. God needs to be obeyed regardless of the circumstances. If something is the truth, it cannot be twisted or bent to suit our own, or the culture's norms or desires. It is the truth, and must be followed/obeyed.
I began tentatively covering, very worried and fearful about what my family or other people would say or think. However, I soon fell off of headcovering full time, figuring if I wasn't quite sure if that was what I was supposed to do, I wouldn't inconvenience myself in the meantime.
So while I was in the middle of avoiding research and trying to convince myself I didn't need to cover, God used the testimony of a friend of mine to bring headcovering to my attention as well. She had started headcovering off and on, and God gave her the boldness to mention it in a setting with myself and a couple of other friends from college. The fact that someone brought up the topic, and stated that headcovering was Biblical, in exactly the timeframe that God was using to bring headcovering to my attention seemed to me to be a confirmation that this was something I needed to look into.
God used that confirmation, combined with the fact that headcovering is talked about in the Bible, and other resources and testimonies from blogs and websites to convict me that I could no longer remain a spectator, or a casual researcher of the topic. Either this was a command from God that needed to be obeyed, or it wasn't, and I needed to know which it was.
Arguments against headcovering, or interpretations of the passage that allowed for people not to cover just seemed to me to be really taking liberties with the passage and twisting scripture to suit our desires and our culture. There isn't any firm 'out' in the passage. I've looked, trust me, there isn't. There are a few tentative legs to stand on in arguments against, but there is nothing in scripture that clearly states we don't have to or shouldn't headcover.
For a while I wrestled, went back and forth, and struggled with covering in public. I would cover when I prayed in private, but always yank it off if my family happened to see me praying with it on, and I never really wore one in public.
So I started headcovering full time, Praise God! The only time I 'relapsed' to off and on covering, were certain moments at our Church's youth group where I wanted to be "relevant" to the girls I was working with, and when I got a new job, because I was pretty sure headcovering wasn't "business casual." But even then, God was merciful and convicted me, and now I headcover all the time at work, and it's such a blessing.
I can't tell you how much God has done in my life since He finally got me to surrender and submit and headcover full time.
So much vanity was taken from me, along with self-consciousness, fear of man, an unhealthy desire to conform and "please" others (not with my words and actions, but with my looks and conforming to to societal standards. Obviously we need to try to keep peace and be pleasant to others when we can, and when truth allows.), as well as God growing me in true Biblical womanhood. God also helped me obey much more boldly in areas where I struggled before, because if He helped me wear a cloth or a hat on my head all the time, even when I was initially terrified to do so, He could help me in other situations where fear used to grip me. I'm not saying headcovering is some kind of spiritual catch-all, where if you wear a headcovering you automatically become a perfect Christian. The headcovering is just a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of authority, that we, as women of God, are submitted to God, and one day, to our husbands. The headcovering didn't make me humble or bold or gentle or anything like that, but God used obedience in that area to grow me in others ways.
Sisters, headcovering is such a blessing. God is so good, and when we follow His commands, there is not "bad" outcome. Sure, it may be initially difficult, and just because we're following God doesn't mean our lives will be perfect. But my sisters, I would strongly urge you, even if you're repulsed by the idea, to pray about it, research it, and don't just write it off. Please don't do what I did, and disobey and waffle for a long time before finally giving in to God. Submit more quickly than I did. It's so worth it, I'm not looking back, and I know you won't either!
Thanks for reading, I'll be praying God uses this in your life! As He leads, I will write a longer and more in depth post.
To God alone be the glory,
Ariana
