Thursday, January 06, 2005
What should Christians wear?
Usually I don't like to whip out controversial topics if I don't think anything will come of it, or if it's not the place or time. But since I know who's reading this, I thought it would be fun to do this. Now some of us, nay, all of us, especially those working in a Church, or having attended a Christian college, have probably grown tired of this question. But I keep running into Christians who have a different view than me, (obviously they are spiritually immature.....jk), so I thought I'd throw this out there and get your input.
My belief is that as politically correct as it is to say "It doesn't matter what other people think" and even as popular as it is in Christian circles to say "God doesn't look at that, he looks inside", I disagree. But not completely.
To say that it doesn't matter what other people think of us, defies what Paul talks about when he speaks of not being a stumbling block to others and becoming all things to all men. Now, let me back up the other side of my thought on that to say that I do not feel myself captive to traditions that have no geniune significance.
For instance, what we wear to church....thats a hot topic. I wear a suit and tie to church. Do I wear it to impress God? No. Do I even do it for the reason that most people who do will tell you they do it...to show respect for the house of God? No. I simply do it because of my cultural circumstances and I know the ministries that I do of eternal significance would be inhibited by my selfishness if I came dress like I look as I type this. In a perfect world, (in my view) everyone would have the same opinion as me, and it wouldn't be a stumbling block, and I wouldn't worry about what I was wearing, but only that I came in sincerity to worship in Spirit and Truth. But since thats not my culture...in order not to be a stumbling block, and diminish my ministries, I dress as they do.
(BTW, about the "house of God" comment: This would probably get me kicked out of my church if they heard this, but I hate to tell people, but thats not the house of God. I am. They are.)
Does God look past the outside to see the heart? Yes. When does he look at the outside? When your outside affects other people's heart. So I say, don't be selfish. Wear what will not be a stumbling block in your immediate sphere of influence and let your heart be right and focus on having an uniterrupted, geniune ministry that will result in fruits that will survive once your suit, tie, nose-ring and mohawk no longer exsist.
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