1 Corinthians 11:13-15 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
These verses and others make it clear to me in God's word that women should be covered when they pray, should wear their hair long and that their long hair is their covering. I believe, therefore, that women need not wear a covering over their heads if their hair is long. Women should look like women and men should look like men, and this is where the real debates begin.
Am I being legalistic? No. I do not believe that cutting your hair will send you to hell. I believe that whether or not a person enters the kingdom of Heaven is not based on their works, but on their salvation through faith. Works will always follow salvation, not the other way around.
So, where does short hair end and long hair begin? I don't know. God has not come to me to tell me that hair needs to be a certain number of inches long to be within His will. I can only tell you what the Bible says about it. I have long hair, and I know it. I know short hair when I see it. My hair is my glory and my covering and I thank God for it. I do not believe that choosing to walk a narrow path is the same as being legalistic or judgmental. I know what I read in the Bible and what I understand it to mean. I trust that God would show me if I am in error, and give me peace when I am within His will.
Why do men seem to prefer long hair on women? Because they are supposed to. Long hair is beautiful and my husband loves it. He appreciates my long hair, as it is a symbol of my submission to my husband, and is pleased that I live within the will of God in this area. And he just plain digs long hair.
Paul gave women good reasons for keeping their hair long, but prohibited them from using it as an object of vanity. If your hair is naturally very long, thick and heavy to the point that it causes headaches or neck pain, for goodness' sake, cut some of it off. Your health should not be endangered by legalism.
As far as ornamentation in the hair goes, I am not opposed to having healthy, beautiful and shiny hair that can be fixed in many ways. "Broided" hair means ornamentation in the hair and is not the same thing as "braided" hair. Paul was not saying that women cannot braid or adorn their hair, he was saying that a woman's beauty should come from the inside - from her spirit - and that her beauty should not just be an outward display. I do not believe that this was an indictment of women who make themselves more attractive.
Enjoy your long hair ladies, and there is not an age limit on it. It is your glory!
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