Submitting Our Worldview to God: Clothing
I was gonna just write a short comment to Monica's post, but then I realized I would write too much, so here are some thoughts that are interesting to me.
So, Monica wrote some thoughts she had on modesty, kinda in response to the Harris twins' Modesty Survey. I thought there were lots of good thoughts, including these:
- “despite what a woman is wearing, she still needs to be treated with utmost respect”,
- “you really can't please everyone”,
- “most women do not dress with the sole intention of getting a male reaction”
However, I would like to challenge us (meaning whoever will read this) to consider what the purpose of clothing actually is. Monica mentioned that clothes are a means of self-expression. No doubt many (maybe most North Americans) agree. But who told us that: The Bible or culture? Maybe we should wonder whether this has just been a North American assumption that needs to be challenged.
We really need The Word to form our opinions about everything, including clothing. If, in fact, there are other Biblical mandates for the use of clothing, those values should take precedence over "self-expression". Right now, the purposes of clothing that come to my mind as being Biblical are to cover our bodies and to communicate, as Monica quoted from 1 Timothy 2:9, "decency and propriety". If those are the highest values, than modesty is actually the no. 1 most important purpose of our clothing.
Maybe I'm wrong. I don't want to say that this is the gospel truth, but whatever the truth is, it needs to be one that, instead of us being conformed to this world, results from us being transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Spirit and His Sword, the Word. Then we will be able to discern the Will of God in this area.
So, I'd challenge us to open up the Bible and consider this question: What is the purpose of clothing, and how should I dress accordingly? And if you have some (Biblical*) suggestions, I'd like to hear them (I'm very sure that my short contribution was not sufficient).
*If you do comment, please may it be Bible-focused
So, Monica wrote some thoughts she had on modesty, kinda in response to the Harris twins' Modesty Survey. I thought there were lots of good thoughts, including these:
- “despite what a woman is wearing, she still needs to be treated with utmost respect”,
- “you really can't please everyone”,
- “most women do not dress with the sole intention of getting a male reaction”
However, I would like to challenge us (meaning whoever will read this) to consider what the purpose of clothing actually is. Monica mentioned that clothes are a means of self-expression. No doubt many (maybe most North Americans) agree. But who told us that: The Bible or culture? Maybe we should wonder whether this has just been a North American assumption that needs to be challenged.
We really need The Word to form our opinions about everything, including clothing. If, in fact, there are other Biblical mandates for the use of clothing, those values should take precedence over "self-expression". Right now, the purposes of clothing that come to my mind as being Biblical are to cover our bodies and to communicate, as Monica quoted from 1 Timothy 2:9, "decency and propriety". If those are the highest values, than modesty is actually the no. 1 most important purpose of our clothing.
Maybe I'm wrong. I don't want to say that this is the gospel truth, but whatever the truth is, it needs to be one that, instead of us being conformed to this world, results from us being transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Spirit and His Sword, the Word. Then we will be able to discern the Will of God in this area.
So, I'd challenge us to open up the Bible and consider this question: What is the purpose of clothing, and how should I dress accordingly? And if you have some (Biblical*) suggestions, I'd like to hear them (I'm very sure that my short contribution was not sufficient).
*If you do comment, please may it be Bible-focused
posted by Adam @ 8:27 PM
11 Comments:
At 8:19 AM,
Unknown said…
Hey Adam,
I really like what you wrote. I think it's good to challenge our natural thoughts like that, which often aren't really Bible-centered, or Gospel-driven.
One thought that comes up with issues like this, is our call as Christians to freedom.
1 Peter 2:16 - Live as free men but do not use your freedom as a coverup for evil. Live as servants of God.
Galatiants 5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore, and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yolk of slavery.
1 Corinthians 6:12 - Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" —but I will not be mastered by anything.
The Bible does not explicitly command us to use clothing as an outward expression of our personality or our feelings. But it also doesn't explicitaly command us not to. So bascially, what I see in this is that we are free to use clothing to express ourselves, but that it may not always be beneficial to do so. We are free to wear clothing that shows what we're feeling that day, but we shouldn't be mastered by the constant need to do that.
Pastor Dan preached a sermon about grey/non-essential areas a couple of weeks ago. I hope I'm not taking what he said, or the Word out of context, but I really think that this type of thing is a matter of conscience. I personally can in good conscience wake up in the morning and wear a colour that reflects my feelings. This for me is not sinful, but perhaps for someone else it is.
Anyways, not sure if any of that makes sense. Just some of my thoughts.
- a.
At 10:01 AM,
KWT said…
I think you are right about being Bible backed.
hmm, how about Ex 28? "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor." (v.2)
And why does Matthew and Mark mention John the Baptist's clothing (Matt 3:4, Mark 1:6)?
Other ideas also came to mind:
* Ps 22:18 "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."
* The people (men) who tore their clothes in anger (Gen 37:34, Isa 37:1, Mt 26:65, Mk 14:63, Acts 14:14, etc.) (self-expression? maybe not necessarily God-ordained?)
* And the many passages that talks about clothing oneself with an abstract concept (Ps 132, Isa 51:9, Eph 6, Col 3:10, among many...)
It'll be interesting also to look at the use of sackcloth.
Anyway, just some ideas related to how our culture has been shaped by, but has terribly distorted, the Biblical view of clothing.
At 11:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
KWT beat me to the punch with sackcloth. I think this represents a key example not only of sacrifice (the clothes were uncomfortable), but of clothes acting as a form of communication/self-expression. Mordecai, for example, didn't just wear them around the house -- he wore them in the streets to make his point.
Also, we know that turbans or head scarves of different sorts were often used in Bible times, primarily to protect from the Sun. Therefore, clothing also has a protective function. Similarly, priests were commanded to not wear certain types of fabric that would cause sweating (Ezekiel 44), again showing that God is quite pragmatic when it comes to clothing functionality.
As with anything else, we must guard against an over-focus on the material world when we are citizens of another Kingdom. But that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy clothes or express ourselves with them. God is gracious in the ordinary, so that even clothes -- made with creativity and colour and skill -- can bring great glory to Him, assuming that other biblical principles (modesty, motive, etc.) are being followed.
At 7:21 PM,
Monica said…
Just to justify my post, when I said 'self expression', I meant with pure motives as opposed to sinful motives- ie: you can wear purple and orange polka dots every day if that somehow defines your personality, but it might be questionable for some to wear something solely for the purpose of feeling sexually empowered. Does that make sense?
PS: I still enjoyed your post.
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