FIRST THINGS FIRST

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For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
1 Corinthians 11:6‭-‬7‭, ‬14‭-‬16 ESV

¶The concern of the apostle Paul is this: that you be born again. All of these issues of hair and coverings are ways to conform our external appearances to the truth of the Gospel. We today have been overly sensitized not to allow the norms of family and society to effect the expression of who we feel ourselves to truly be. At best these are secondary issues. At worst, focusing on them are attempts to blame and change our circumstances when we are not able to still and quiet our own hearts. But it is wrong to either express our individualism, or to conform to the pressures of family and society, unless first our unruly hearts are tamed. We must be born again. Do not put new wine into old wine skins. Be born again, then speak your truth from a heart regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit.

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