“Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel” (1 Timothy 2:9). It’s the time of year when many people’s attire, both for men and women, is anything but modest. [These days, all year long, though more so in the warmer months, immodesty is prevalent. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Society today pushes the envelope with how little one can wear, and scantily clad individuals are everywhere. Shorts and hemlines are getting shorter and shorter, necklines are plunging further and further, and bare midriffs are growing wider and wider. Such clothing, or the lack of it, certainly gains the attention of the opposite sex, but usually not in ways that are desirable or wholesome. Such is the world in which we live.
As Christians, however, we are not to be conformed to the world, but instead transformed by the will of God (Romans 12:2). The saying “everyone else is doing it” certainly should not be the motivation for choosing the clothing a Christian wears, or doesn’t wear. In the passage quoted above, Paul exhorted women from attracting undue attention to themselves by primarily overdressing, with “elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel.” The same principle applies to underdressing, and the undue attention that it attracts to one, just as much for men as women, especially when the message of wearing immodest clothing becomes sexually provocative. What messages does one send, whether intentional or otherwise, when too much flesh is revealed? Purity is the keyword for Christians, in thought and conduct. One should not be tempted by other Christians, nor be a temptation to anyone, by what one wears. Paul exhorted Timothy, “No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). One should also consider what message is being sent to those outside of Christ by what is worn, or not worn.
When considering what you will wear before others, you should be mindful of more than just whether it is decent or not. We come to worship and honor a holy God. While no one would demand we must always wear three-piece suits or evening gowns in our assemblies, neither should we become too casual. If we can discern at other events that it is appropriate to dress nicely and respectfully, why would we think God is pleased when we develop an attitude of “anything is all right” when coming to assemble before the King of kings and Lord of lords? “‘For I am a great King,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and my name will be feared among the nations’” (Malachi 1:14). The Hebrews writer also reminds us, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). When we assemble together, we’re not only in fellowship with each other, but with our Lord and Savior. Our apparel should not be gauged simply by style, popularity, looks gained or any other such motive, but our love, respect and fear for God.
The world dresses and lives by a standard based in sin, but we are called to reflect the holiness of God (1 Peter 1:14-16). Wherever we go, whatever we do, we need to remember we are children of God and reflect His image by the image we show others. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
