Matthew 6:28 - KJV "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:"

1 Timothy 2:9 - KJV "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"

1 Peter 3:3 - KJV "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;"

What we wear. Even though this Devotional today is primarily geared towards
women, it is also very applicable for men as well. How to dress has been a
matter of some contention in the church from the beginning. There are
schools of thought that range from a very conservative and exact dress code, all the way to the most casual
attire. Of course, as in all things, we must examine what the Word of God
says about this issue. Most who teach a very conservative and exact dress
code are doing so by taking some of what the Bible says literally. Many of
the passages in the New Testament were dealing directly with the culture of
that day, however clearly taught two main points. First, a woman should
dress not to bring attention to herself. Second, it is not what we wear on
the outside that makes us beautiful, but who we are in Christ on the inside.

The best advice I can give you on how to dress, not only for church, but in
public, is this. There is nothing wrong with having nice clothes. There is
nothing wrong with jewelry. The line gets drawn at your motivation. Do you
wear jewelry to show off or impress people, or do you wear jewelry because
you enjoy it? Is your motives as you choose what to wear to look nice, to
look presentable, or is it to make sure people notice you? The big question
is always about the length of skirts and what type of tops
to wear. Again, there is nothing wrong with looking good. But when you
dress, is part of your motivation for men to look at you because of what you
are wearing? The Bible speaks clearly about being a steppingstone or
stumblingblock. Most men, the vast majority struggle with lust. Is what
you are wearing going to cause men to lust over you? Now trust me, I know
that there are men who are so bad they will lust over you no matter what you
wear, but you know what I mean. I have stood in the pulpits of many
churches, and seen women in attendance who were dressed like they were at a
nightclub. You are sending the wrong signals, and being a stumblingblock
when you purposely dress provocatively. The best rule is if you have to
question whether it is too revealing, chances are very good..it is.

The whole issue of dressing to impress, or to be noticed by other people
becomes a moot point when you are confident in who you are in Christ. As a
child of God , your eternal home is waiting you. You have surrendered your
life to your Creator, and your purpose each day is to serve and glorify Him
with your life. It takes the pressure off of having to be judged by the
world's standards. What the world thinks, what others think, becomes
secondary to what God thinks. He is the only one we HAVE to please. As
long as we worry about pleasing the Lord first, and others second, many
things like what we wear lose much of their importance, other than as a
function of living this life while we are here.

Men have had to deal with this issue as well, though it has not been as
pronounced as for women. However, in the last 10 years with men's fashions
being much more publicized, many more men are falling into the same trap
some women do. Guys, look good, but if you are dressing simply to impress
someone or you wear clothing you know is meant simply to draw attention to
yourself, you are off base. Be secure in who you are in Christ. Recognize
clothing for what it is. It is nothing more than what we must have to
function on a day to day basis during this journey. That saying "clothes
make the man" is absolutely wrong. God makes the man, clothes are just what we wear to serve God.

I love you and care about you very much. I realize that this is actually a
very hotly contested and debated issue in some circles. It does not have to
be. If you belong to a church that won't allow you to wear pants or other
types of clothing, and you are not comfortable, than pray and see how
important that one issue is to being part of that church. In many cases,
women wear clothing that many may deem as inappropriate out of ignorance.
They simply don't know any better, which is why the older women of the
church need to take the younger women aside and educate them.

I will pray for you today to realize above all, that you are an ambassador
of the Lord Jesus Christ at all times. It is a 24/7/365 job. As His ambassador, the
best test of all when you dress to go somewhere is this. If Jesus came back
and met you in 10 minutes, would I be embarrassed by what you were wearing?
Again, if you have to question whether it is appropriate, it probably isn't.
What you wear should be done with the goal to look nice, not draw attention
to yourself.

Mostly though, know the Lord loves you and thinks you are beautiful because
of who you are inside. Be secure in that love and realize your real beauty
is who you are on the inside, not what you are wearing.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller