To Bling or Not To Bling?

I have had many people tell me that consumers are looking for bling.  They love it.  If I would just add some razzle dazzle my business would really take off. 

About six weeks ago I was listening to KCBI where I heard the tail end of a discussion on modesty by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. A fresh interest in the subject was stirred up in me that day. I’ve always been raised modest, dressed modest, tried to instill modesty in my daughter etc, but it really had been an outward clothing issue. As I listened, and subsequently researched her website and found the True Woman Movement, the manifesto and the 30 Day True Women Makeover (you may remember my blog on the topic recently). I buckled in for this makeover, not really expecting to be made over much, since I’m already a Christian, conservative, and an all around pretty good girl!


Boy was I wrong! God worked so much in my life in those few minutes each day by e-mail! I even started walking with Him each morning and talking to Him and more importantly LISTENING in a different way than I had before. Now, it wasn’t just the 30 day makeover, God was also pouring into my life through a few good friends, our Pastor’s messages, our small group study and just common sense observations of my surroundings.

I realized that I am where I am today because of God’s grace and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I owe much to many good friends, not the least of which is Laura Belt. I realized how much I’ve taken for granted the truths I know, How uncommon it is to see people who genuinely desire to follow after God in all they do, even if it makes them look silly (I’m so guilty on this one – I don’t want to be a “freak”, one of “those people”, “backwards”, etc. I am thankful that God is working on my daily to erase my pride and increase my desire to be what He wants me to be, nothing more and nothing less!)

I realized that modesty is not contained in what we wear, but rather in the desires and motivations of our hearts. Here is where the “bling thing” comes into play. I’ve been considering adding bling to my jewelry; rhinestones and crystals, chunkier pieces, etc.  In fact, while at a wholesale jewelry findings supplier recently I was talking about my inner struggle on the topic and another shopper overheard.  She looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and disgust and asked "You've got a problem with bling?  All I know is I sell a ton of it!"

The problem is, it’s a feeble attempt to please “the market”. We all like bling – why? It gets us noticed! And in God’s economy, that is an issue. We were created to worship Him, to bring Glory to Him, to draw others to Him. If we strive for attention for ourselves, and never turn the glory to Him, then we’ve missed the entire point of our existence.

I’m not suggesting that it is “wrong” to wear jewelry, but rather we feel the essence of what the New Testament author is saying in 1 Peter 3:1-9

“In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some (husbands) are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, when they see your pure and reverent conduct. Let your beauty not be (only) external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes –but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so.”

If our bling is on the outside, we draw attention to ourselves. If our BLING is on the inside, we bring attention and glory to God.

So my friends, you will find a bit of bling in my shop, but I pray that you will find much more BLING in my heart. And I pray that you’ll allow God to add a whole bunch of razzle dazzle BLING to yours as well!

If you like the image, would you like it on a tote bag?