Imagine the typical Sunday morning at church. What do you see? The church parking lot slowly begins to fill around 7:30am as the worship team arrives to begin running through the service. More and more vehicles change the bare asphalt into a spectrum of metallic reds, whites, blacks, blues, and "harvest gold" or whatever you want to call that beige car. The welcome center lobby fills with a bunch of people, most are happy to see each other. We all should be happy to see each other, but that is a different topic. And everyone is "fine," also a different topic. Have you noticed how everyone is dressed? I don't tend to pay much attention to it, but I guarantee there are those that will nitpick on the clothes everyone else is wearing, judging them to that last iota. Why is that? Where in Scripture does it say that people have to dress up for church? Personally, I enjoy coming to church in comfortable clothes, and I am not comfortable buttoned up in a starched shirt with a noose around my neck! Although, I have to admit that anyone dressed to the hilt looks pretty sharp on Sunday morning, but the question I have for them is why are they wearing it? Who are they trying to impress?
Ok, that was a leading question. Objection! Sustained. Lawyered. Are they trying to impress someone? I think they are more often than anyone would like to admit it. The number of people who are more comfortable all suited up as opposed to more casual is probably less than one would think based on a Sunday morning. I can only think of a few reasons why someone would come to church every Sunday morning in a suit and tie:
1. They enjoy coming in a suit and tie.
If this is the case, great! More power to them. Every once in a great while, even I get it into my head to dress it up for church. There is nothing wrong with that, and if you enjoy dressing up every Sunday, then do not let anyone tell you it is wrong!
2. Tradition. They have always done it, or they still have mom's nagging voice in their head telling them they had better dress it up for God.
"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
This may sound strange to some of you, but is it not true that you can be held captive by things you thought you had to do but really didn't? Let's consider the eating of meat sacrificed to idols which Paul spoke of. Was it ever a sin to eat meat sacrificed to idols? No. In the same way, it is not a sin dress casually in church (provided it is also modest). However, we must consider the opposite side of that. Will it cause my brother to sin? If so, Paul says we should never eat meat for the benefit of the conscience of the weaker brother. To carry that through, if it would cause a problem for the conscience of a weaker brother, we should dress up for their sake.
3. In order to impress other people at the church. The other people I am referring to are other church members, visitors, or that pretty woman who sits a few rows in front of you.
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
I think it is pretty clear that seeking the adoration of other people is not the reason we should be coming to church. Even if it is not the primary reason for dressing up, it can be an obstacle to experiencing true worship with the Creator.
4. To impress God
I hear this all the time when talking about this issue, "Should you not give your best to God?" Then I get a rehashing of the difference between Cain's sacrifice and Abel's sacrifice. Really? I didn't hear a comparison of the clothes Cain and Abel wore while making their sacrifice once during that story. The story is about faithfully giving back to God the best of what He has given to you. If you want to compare that story to the modern day, look at your charitable giving record, not how you try to make yourself look good if front of the rest of the church-goers! It is only arrogant pride that thinks God can be impressed by the clothes you wear to church! What God cares about is the intention of your heart! If He cared about dress, Jesus would have eaten with the Pharisees, not the sinners!
So, this Sunday, when you start getting dressed for church, ask yourself why you are picking those clothes. Make sure it is for a good reason. Then, when you get to church, makes sure you are not judging those who dress otherwise. The one who dresses up and the one who dresses down are both called of God, and they both have the right to come just as they are before the throne of the King of Glory.
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him" (Romans 14).
Hey brother, Long time no see. Hope things are well with you and yours. In response to your post, I would like to start with Deu 22:5
ReplyDeleteThe woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
I bring up this text to show that indeed dress is important to God. As Christians, what we wear reflects on God, the same way the little fish on the back of peoples cars reflect on God. If you act like a jerk in traffic and someone notices the little fish, what do they think of God or the person representing Him? When we dress a certain way, it sends a message, and that message can be good or bad. As representatives of Jesus Christ, we want that message to be good.
Paul sums it up in very few words in 1Co 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Everything that we do in life, not some, but all is to be done to glorify God, and that includes dress. The bottom line is this. What is our motive? If dressing nicely is motivated by an attempt to impress someone else, the motive is wrong. Likewise, dressing casually can also be motivated in an attempt to impress, and that too would be wrong. We dress nicley for all sorts of wordly reasons. Weddings, funerals, proms and homecomings, and meeting special people such as the president. If we can give this kind of respect to wordly things, are we to give any less to God?
Hey! I appreciate your comment. I have to agree that there are cases in which God does care how we dress. Obviously cross dressing is not ok with Him. I just didn't consider that when writing this. Also, anything we do that reflects negatively on God or Christianity is something to take seriously. If we claim Christ at all (which is assumed if we wear Christian clothing) while bringing shame to Him is condemned in Scripture.
ReplyDeleteI think it comes down to the intent of the heart, as we both said. Are we honoring God in what we do? As I said, if someone desires to honor God by dressing up, they should never let anyone tell them they are wrong for doing it. The same is true for dressing down. Neither is against Scripture, and neither should be looked down on by another believer.
Btw, who are you? Neither the comment nor the e-mail told me. :)