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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 7, NUMBER 37, SEPTEMBER 16, 2007 WHAT TO WEAR Clothing styles, like all aspects of culture, are both a reflection of and an influence on the behavior of an individual. Put a 16-year-old boy behind the wheel of a car and put a pair of sunglasses on him, and his personality changes. He is not the same person. Dress the same young man in a military uniform or in a tuxedo and watch the difference a few threads make. Clothing styles not only effect changes in behavior but reflect the mood and the attitude of the wearer as well. The casual business dress of the last decade is surely indicative of a more casual atmosphere in the work place. The Lord understood the power of apparel and the statement that the arrangement of the outer man makes about the inner man. He laid down principles about what to wear that suit us for godliness and fit us for His company. Some of these principles are surveyed below. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Gen. 3:7). Shame over nakedness was the first revelation to sinful man, and it is perhaps the last defense of a people forsaking conscience. When young men and women are not embarrassed at uncovering themselves before one another, but are taught and encouraged by their guardians to do so, they not only expose their bodies but open their consciences to the erosion of natural shame. What to wear? That which covers. Clothing designed to reveal instead of conceal is not fit to wear. Proper dress is intended to protect both the body and the conscience from the hazards of exposure. “And behold, a woman comes to meet him, dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart” (Proverbs 7:10). Clothing makes a statement, as this proverb admits. The attire of the harlot is intended to advertise that she is available for hire. John the baptizer’s camel hair tunic and leather belt fit his message of repentance. David’s refusal of Saul’s armor stated that his hope of victory against Goliath was in the God of Israel and not the arm of flesh. What to wear? That which advertises your chosen profession. Wear the attire of a harlot and you’re apt to be treated like one, if not behave like the same. If you profess Christianity, don’t be guilty of false advertising. Your body language and your clothing statement broadcast your morality to all whom you meet. Say what you mean, because whether you mean to or not, you’ll say something. “And why are you anxious about clothing?...For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek” (Matt. 6:28, 32). When the standards of society become our model for dress, then we have looked to the wrong standard. If what we seek to put on is not different than what the Gentiles seek, then we’ve likely gone astray. What to wear, then? That which looks for approval in the eyes of God, and not the world. You’ll never keep up with the world’s trends, but you can satisfy God’s demands. He’ll provide sufficiently for them. “If God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more do so for you?” (Matt. 6:30). “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes” (Matt. 18:7). Some men (and some women) will lust no matter what is worn. The Lord addresses that heart problem (Matt. 5:28), but the fact of the obscene men and women does not give license to flaunt your body. The acknowledgment of inevitable stumblings and the fact of habitual stumblers is reason for caution. The Lord will judge men and women who took no thought for the affect of their adornment on the opposite sex. What to wear? That which will not cause another to trip. When you put on clothing intended to catch the eye, to capture the imagination, and to arouse the appetite, you’ve dressed a hook and spread a trap. That kind of dress catches the Lord’s eye as well as man’s, but the Lord is not impressed with such designs. He will judge those who model such fashion accordingly. “I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness” (1 Tim. 2:9). The fact that this commandment is addressed to women acknowledges the obvious influence that a woman yields by her apparel. To deny that is to forfeit common sense. Women especially make a difference, either good or ill, by how they dress. The passage implies what has already been stated: that clothing is meant to cover, that clothing makes a statement, that society’s clothing standards are typically flawed, that one’s apparel – especially a woman’s -- influences one’s neighbors. It should be noted that too much is just as bad as too little, and the mean between the extreme of too much and too little is this simple maxim: “Whatever fits a woman making a claim to godliness.” Modest and discreet apparel then is that which compliments the message of the Christian, just like John the Baptist wore an ensemble consistent with his message of repentance, and the harlot a costume befitting her profession. In answering the question of what to wear, I suggest this simple rule to the Christian: If you can preach the gospel in it, it fits; if you can’t, then you better change clothes. Jason Moore The Southside Reminder
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