Why I'm giving up Make-Up for Lent

A few months ago I was chatting with a lovely friend at college (you know who you are!) about make-up and how she doesn't wear any. I made the rash comment; 'oh well I might just give it up for lent, it's probs a good idea considering what I do with Belle'. 

It wasn't until 'bedtime' (yes I still call it bedtime) on Pancake Day that I was reminded of my comment and decided to GO FOR IT. So I decided that on the average day, for 40 days, I will not be wearing make up.

And here we are 4 days in. Since the start of lent I've done a belle workshop, been out for dinner 3 times (that's not a usual thing btw), spent time with family/friends/boyfriend and been shopping - just so you know I haven't been hiding away in a cave avoiding all contact with human beings. 

Here are some of the thoughts I've had so far:

• Is it too late to back-out?
• What if people think I'm ill or I haven't slept in days or something?
• I fancy wearing lipstick today - wait, oh crap
• I hate this
• I can't fail because then I'd be a hypocrite
• I wish contouring hadn't yet been introduced (even though I don't do it anyway)
• At least my face is relatively clear at the moment (*touch wood*)
• What if people treat me different?
• Oooh I might buy this new eyebrow pencil - wait, oh crap
• But doing make-up is my hobby - I miss my hobby
• 40 days. That's almost two whole months...

So WHY am I doing this?

1. To prove that who we are isn't defined by how we look

We are more than our image. The fact I'm not wearing make-up doesn't make me any less myself. I'm still the laid-back, lacking common sense, funny because I lack common sense, smiley, caring Jessie that I am with make-up. 

I want to be more comfortable and confident in my own, natural skin. I want to still own, love and embrace who I am. And at the moment I feel like I'm comparing myself to others more than ever! So, honestly, it will take time. But that's why I'm doing this - it's important.

God doesn't called his 'masterpiece' (Eph. 2:10, NIV), dependent upon whether we're wearing make-up or not!

2. To be an example to young (or just other) girls

It was great to stand in-front of the girls at the Belle workshop and be 100% raw and real with them. I don't want us to be encouraging a culture of fake, filtered and fraudulent (i.e. would a stranger notice you in a crowd from just viewing your Instagram/Facebook profile pic - just a thought!) 

Checkout my other blog post 'Should I be short, fat and ugly?': I want this to be an example to all of those people who don't think I can lead Belle because of the way I look. 

I've already felt challenged by not being able to 'look my best'. Why is that? Is it just this need to impress? I'm exploring the 'why' behind the 'what'. Do all girls feel that they have to look their best all the time to impress? That's not ok: I'll explore it.

3. To see what God reveals to me during this time

I preached in December on 'idols'. Tim Keller: 'an idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give'. 

I figured that actually my image is something that I can all too easily slip back into making an idol in my life. To be sure that it's not at my centre, (despite how uncomfortable it feels), make-up has to go. I want God to absorb my heart and imagination more than concerns about how I look do. I want this to be a time of self-denial and thus drawing closer to Him who created me and knows me better than I know myself. I want my value, ALL of it, to draw from Him.

So, if you see me - let's chat about it. Tell me how you feel, I'll tell you how I feel. Let's be real and vulnerable. Let's open up conversation about this stuff.

I'll keep you posted on the journey.