With all of the things going on in the world, I didn't even fathom the day when we would be discussing whether or not a woman could wear her hair in its natural curly state in the workplace without receiving reprimand from her peers and superiors. More importantly, I want to discuss the deeper thoughts that go on in a woman's mind when she feels more or less inadequate based on a certain hairstyle.
I went to the gym near my house one day and had my hair in its natural state which is curly and puffy. In an effort to be productive, I had my hair up in a high ponytail so that I could have it out of my face while I exercised. As I got on the treadmill to warm up, I noticed a gentleman walking by slowly who seemed to be gazing. I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but decided to put my headphones on and continue walking. As soon as I was about to put my left headphone in my ear, he made a comment, "I absolutely love your hair! I love when women wear their hair natural like that." After thanking him for the compliment and going back to exercising, I wondered if he would have responded the same way to a woman wearing her hair straightened or even to a woman wearing extensions or a wig. Though his statement could have merely been out of personal preference, I also questioned if the world often judges a woman by her physical beauty and even by her hair and the way it's styled, textured and tamed.
Is a woman perceived to be smarter or more professional if her hair is straightened or slick? On the contrary, is a woman perceived to be less professional or less educated if it's "big," puffy, and "large and in charge? But more importantly, the question I asked myself is if my OWN self-perception was affected by the way I wore my hair. Did I determine my value based on the texture of my hair on that particular day? The more I reflected, the more I realized that doing so would be impossible.
I remembered that the only truth is the Word of God. Therefore, when my thoughts start to tell me something contrary to the Word of God especially concerning my value, it's a distortion and a lie from the enemy. The enemy will make us feel that our value is in something external, but the truth is that our value was solidified when Jesus justified us by dying on the cross and making an exchange with us by taking our sins so that we could die to our sins and live in righteousness. The beautiful thing about the justification and salvation of Jesus is that when God sees us, he no longer sees our sin but he sees his son, Jesus.
The Bible is very clear about our value and how the Lord sees us and it has nothing to do with our appearance. In fact, in 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord said to Samuel about David, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature... For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Therefore, it's not so much about the texture of our hair or even the way our hair is styled, but what's more important to God is that our HEART is beautiful and kept pure. What is the fruit of your relationship with him? What is the evidence? Do you love others? Are you kind and compassionate? Do you regard others higher than yourself? Do you hold in value the desire to live a life that will give him glory and honor?
One of the key ways to ensure that we are equipped to combat the lies and thoughts of deception, insecurity, and anything contrary to the Word of God that would come to attack our perception of ourselves is to use the Word of God as the weapon that it is designed to be. Hebrews 4:12 says,"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." We are called to put on the armor of God and that involves equipping ourselves with the Word of God because it is regarded as the sword of the spirit. Ephesians 6:11 and 6:17 instructs us, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes...Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
We must know what God says about us so that we can combat contrary thoughts with the truth of his word. Psalm 139:13 speaks of him and says, "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Additionally, Ephesians 2:4 begins with "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us..." In essence, it's imperative to know that God loves you and all of you because he created you. His love for you is GREAT and it doesn't falter. His perception of you doesn't change based on what you wear or how you style your hair and most importantly, neither should yours. You are a masterpiece and were created by God with unique talents, skills and abilities. Everything you need to accomplish everything in front of you is already inside of you.
It is imperative for us to truly grab ahold to the love God has for us which was demonstrated in him giving his only son to die for us (John 3:16). The Bible says in Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The only way we can explain such a GREAT act and such an awesome justification and an awesome new life given through Jesus Christ is GREAT LOVE.
It doesn't matter if you wear your hair in a fro, a twist-out, bantu knots, locs, get hair added via a sew-in, or put your hair underneath a wig, your value is not found in ANY of these external demonstrations. God cares more about what's IN your head than what's ON it. He wants your mind to be renewed and stayed on him more than he wants to put any value into your latest hairstyle. If it makes you happy and you like it, rock it!
I do understand that there are some corporate workplace cultures and policies that have restrictions on the way you style your hair and I understand that you must do what you feel is best at your workplace while you are there to be compliant. However, I want YOU to know that whether you step into your workplace with naturally curly or straight hair, you still belong to the King of Kings and you are a beautiful, intelligent, highly regarded masterpiece! Own that fact and hold that in high regard as you hold your head up high to conquer whatever is or will be placed before you.
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