Does God Care What I Wear? Sept. 11, 2005
Key Text---Colossians 3:1-14 The Message
1 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. 2 Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ— that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life— even though invisible to spectators— is with Christ in God. He is your life. 4 When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too— the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. 6 It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. 7 It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. 8 But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. 10 Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. 11 Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. 13 Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. 14 And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
In Extreme Makeover people with physical challenges get their teeth, hair, skin and clothing changed. .A so-called clothing expert helps the person select a whole new wardrobe. And I was wondering. What if God were the clothing expert and God chose our clothes? What would God choose? Would we all be dressed like the Amish? Would men have to wear coats and ties for worship? Would the women dress with veils? Or would we all wear floor length robes? Does God care what we wear?
In the New Testament God uses the concept of clothing to communicate to us about something that is really important to Him. But rather than telling us how long the ladies’ dresses should be or whether or not men should wear ties and coats, God describes in the letter to the Colossians different attitudes that he wants us to wear. And in 1 Timothy the key attitude is “modesty.” I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 1 Tim 2:9-10 (NIV) God through the writer of Proverbs gave this picture. 22 A beautiful woman lacking discretion and modesty is like a fine gold ring in a pig’s snout. Prov 11:22 (TLB)
I don’t know if modesty is every discussed among anyone anymore. We are by and large not very modest about anything. Modesty is another word for humility, simplicity, and moderation. In terms of the way we dress it also relates to showing reservation about sexuality. The Encarta Dictionary of the English Language says that modesty is a reserve is shown especially as a preference for clothes that keep much of the body covered. Nevertheless I want you to consider this: modesty is more a way of thinking than a way of dressing. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Col 3:1 (NIV) God is very clear. He wants us to change the way we think. Specifically, God says, ‘I want you to think like Jesus. Try to get Jesus’ perspective on life. That is what Paul stresses in all of his letters and we see it in his letter to the Colossians. To think and act “modesty” requires new thinking.
Paul said, if a person wants to clothe himself or herself with modesty, then it will require a whole new way of thinking than the way the world thinks. The first challenge in our thinking that modesty raises is whether the external is most important or the internal. The world says the external is most important. The Christian believes the internal is the most important. The world says “your outside is your identity.” The world says the body, what you look like, the external, is most important and the interior life is second. The Christian view is that the interior is first and the external is second. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16:7 (NIV) Our bodies are not our identity.
Someone needs to tell that to people like comedian Joan Rivers, 72. She has had a number of cosmetic surgeries over the years: bags removed from under her eyes, two complete face-lifts, cheek implants, fat injections, brow smoothing, teeth capping, neck tightening, a tummy tuck, and a nose-thinning. She is obsessed with her appearance. I quote her. "When you look better, you are treated differently. …People want to be around attractive people." Citation: "The New and Improved Rivers," The Week (7-15-05), vol. 5, issue 215/216, p.10; submitted by Mark Galli, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
I cannot deny the reality that we probably do treat people differently based on appearance. But for the person who believes that God really does look at the heart rather than our appearances, who believes that God loved us so much not when we were good but when we were sinners, then that person knows that success has nothing to do with the external. Security has nothing to do with whether I wear Izod on my shirt but rather have Jesus in my heart. It has nothing to do with having Helzberg diamonds on my hand but whether or not God’s hand is holding me. It cannot matter whether or not I have the name brand on my pants but whether God has my name in his book of life.
Joan Rivers’s worldview is based completely on outward appearances and a profound personal insecurity. But Christian, I remind you that God loves you regardless of your outward appearance. And he invites us to love ourselves and others in spite of outward appearance. And when we do we can experience what God calls the peace that passes understanding, real security.
The second challenge modesty makes to the Christian’s thinking is related to how we determine what is most important in life. The world thinks what others think of a person is most important. Christian believes what God thinks is most important. Paul wrote encouraging Christians to do as he tried to do…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.2 Cor. 10:5b
And the last challenge modesty makes is to force us to ask whether or not we are choosing our clothing by how it makes me look or how it might negatively affect others. The world thinks first of how everything affects me. The Christian is concerned with how it affects others. The world says to dress in order to make people notice you. But God says dress in a way that shows you consider other people’s feelings above your own. Look at these traits that Paul said the Christian is to put on as clothing: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline (NIV= gentleness and patience) Col 3:12 (NIV) Paul is not saying we have to dress in junky clothes. But it does mean that the Christian will wear clothing that shows concern for how we will affect other people. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness are all describing concern for others. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. Col 3:14 The Message
Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Phil 2:3 (Living)
Britney Spears had had a major influence on millions of young girls. I can give her credit for helping reinforce if not create the tight top, bare belly style, show the navel, hip hugging style of clothing. “Stores like Limited Too and GapKids can’t stock enough Britney-inspired makeup, tube tops, and hip huggers. Many stores sell padded bras and thigh-high panties in little-girl sizes. Sarah Roberts, age 11, says boys only notice girls if skin is showing.” Citation: Nadya Labi, "Britney Brigade," Time (2-5-01); submitted by Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, Quebec, Cana
Now let’s be honest. If girls wear revealing clothing, it will get the attention of boys. Clothing that is revealing skin around private body parts, transparent, tight, or low, is probably immodest. If, however, a person believes that he or she is to discourage a person from the feelings that Paul mentioned (“sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy”) how can a lady, young or old, justify wearing clothes that actually stimulate the very thoughts and actions that God tells us are harmful? Girls and boys, will your clothing encourage a person to think low thoughts? God tells us that it is possible for us to clothe ourselves with certain attitudes that actually inspire people to think and live higher. That is what Peter is talking about when he says that a charming spirit is more highly prized that costly jewels.
And that goes for men and boys too. My daughter Alice and I had a very brief discussion about this topic a few weeks ago. And she told me, “Dad, don’t just talk to girls about dressing modestly. Talk to boys too.” I will be honest. I don’t know if boys wearing their pants down at their ankles and showing off their boxer shorts is something that arouses girls or not. All I know is that is seems vulgar to me. But muscle shirts and skin tight pants on boys are not worn for comfort. They are worn to attract girls. And boys, God is saying to you to wear clothing that is modest, that will not focus on the exterior of you, but will reveal your belief that the inside of you is what is really and ultimately important. Wear clothing that does not give in to making a sexually satisfying attraction to the opposite sex or show off some false sense of pride. Wear clothing that expresses your understanding that you do have a responsibility for the feelings of other people. When you put on that attitude you can bet you will be dressing in a way God likes.
Although Nancy DeMoss asked this question to women, I think it is relevant for all of us. "Is the message you’re sending consistent with what you really believe, or are you sending a mixed message? Are you thinking one thing and having one sort of heart but then sending--with your body, your clothing, your outward appearance--a message that maybe you don’t intend to send or know you should not send?”
I used several concepts in this sermon that Nancy DeMoss spoke of in a series of radio interviews on the same subject. The interviews are archived on the Revive Our Hearts web site. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?lid=26058
