Dress to Impress

No doubt you've heard the phrase 'dress to impress'. Generally, the term is in reference to the opposite sex, a future employer, or some other person wherein it would be to your benefit to impress them based on looks. My post today is hardly like that at all; instead, I want to seek ways that we can dress to impress God.

I've already written a post about immodest clothing, and if you haven't read it, you can check it out here. Instead of focusing on the negative too-this and too-that, I want to talk about what we CAN put on to be pleasing to God as His children.

First things first, let's notice what Galatians 3:27 says:

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

When we became Christians/children of God, we put on something from the very start: Christ. Sometimes, though, we tend to cover up Christ and put back on a few things that we supposedly put off. Colossians 3:8-9 tell us what some of those things are.

"But now you yourselves are to put off all these things: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds."

In order to be impressive to God, we cannot be clothed with (dressed in) anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy language! If we have any of these things still on, we may be impressing the world, but we aren't being pleasing to God.

I hate negative posts, though. I hate being told what I'm not supposed to do, and then just leaving it at that. When we are seeking to be pleasing to God, I don't think we can simply eliminate the bad things from our hearts; instead, we must replace those negative, worldly things with good, Godly things. So let's see what we should put on that will impress God:

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were also called in one body; and be thankful." - Colossians 3:12-15

Paul tells us that there are numerous things that we can put on in order to be pleasing to God:

• tender mercies - Really, this phrase is talking about the "bowels of compassion" or simply, compassionate feelings. To be pleasing to God, we are going to be people of compassion. The World English Dictionary defines this term as "a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another, often including the desire to alleviate it." If we have truly put on Christ and are 'dressing to impress' God, we are going to see the sufferings of those around us and do our best to alleviate their burdens.  I find it interesting that the list starts here, because if we can manage to put on this attribute, the others should fall in line.

• kindness - We should all know what this means, but let me use another verse to show us a little more clearly: "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior." Titus 3:4-6. We can see from those verses that God's kindness was demonstrated to us by sending Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What an awesome example of kindness! Since we have received such a kindness from God, we should also demonstrate that kindness toward others. 

• humility - Peter tells us that we should be 'clothed with humility'  because 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble' (1 Pet. 5:5). In no way and at no time do I want God to resist me. However, if I have chosen to live a life that is prideful--perhaps not confessing my sins to others, perhaps thinking I'm better than others because my struggles are not the same as theirs (ie: homosexuals)--God will resist me. We must be people of humility if we want to receive grace from God. 

• meekness - Galatians 6:1 tells us that if one of our brothers or sisters are overtaken in a trespass, we are to restore them in a spirit of meekness/gentleness lest we also be tempted. What an amazing characteristic to put on! When we are meekly and gently correcting and exhorting our brothers and sisters toward righteousness, are we not being extremely pleasing to God? When we are hatefully condemning and trying to 'scare people into heaven', I don't think we are. In order to be like Christ, and in order to be impressive to God, we must be people who are meek. After all, those are the people who will inherit the earth (Matt 5:5).

• long-suffering - This is a tough one for me. Patience is a learned virtue, and it is one I am still working hard on perfecting. I love the order where this falls in the list, though: "Long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another." It seems the people that require the most patience are either the ones who 1: are so incredibly hard to 'bear with' (ie: put up with) or 2: are the ones who have wronged me and require the most forgiveness. In order to be like Christ, though, and in order to be pleasing to God, we must extend patience to all. After all, God is so long-suffering with me and my continually sinful walk. How can I expect Him to be long-suffering with me if I will not extend the same amount to others?

• forgiveness - Jesus tells the story of the wicked servant in Matthew 18. After the story, He wraps up by saying, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." (v.35). Jesus is the standard when it comes to forgiveness (and everything else). The first words He uttered on the cross were "Father, forgive them". Even in the midst of the worst pain and agony, Jesus had a forgiving heart. The scary thing is: if we don't have that kind of heart, God won't extend His forgiveness to us. So, in order for us to look like Christ and impress God, we must be people who always forgive. And not only when it's easy and convenient. There was nothing easy and convenient about dying on a cross. There was nothing easy and convenient about leaving heaven and coming to earth to be tortured. Surely, then, we can forgive others when they call us names or steal our boyfriends or break our hearts or hurt our families. 

• love - As if the list hasn't been inclusive enough, Paul concludes by telling us to put on love, which we know incapsulates all of the characteristics mentioned (1 Cor. 13:4-8).  However, love appears to be the most important thing. While Jesus showed extreme forgiveness and compassion and long-suffering toward us, love is what brought Him from heaven in the first place. Nails aren't what held Jesus to the cross; no, it was His love for us. If we want to be true Christians and to really 'put on Christ', we must put on that deep, abiding love. 

So if those are the things we're supposed to put on, does it really leave any room for questions? Will I wonder, "hmm, this dress comes a few inches above my knee but, ehh, it's ok." or  "well, this show has a lot of fornication and homosexuality on it, but it's really funny and they don't cuss a lot so I'm sure it's fine." No. We will be seeking out clothes and entertainment and friends and spouses who help us wear Christ well. We won't be involved in the things that cover Him up and put Him to shame. 

Camp Rules for Life

Growing up, I attended a congregation that did not go to any huge Christian camps. Instead, our preacher and youth minister took a group of about 100-125 of us to the campus of Freed-Hardeman University where we were able to spend a week with the people that were in our own youth group.

There are so many memories that I could share with you from my years at "Freed Camp". Every year from the time I was in 3rd grade, that first week in June at Freed Camp was a staple. And looking back, I can still envision the piece of paper that Mr. Tim gave to us regarding the camp rules. After all, we had to know what to/not to pack. 

Thinking back, these are the rules that helped shape my life. As a pre-teen, I didn't understand some of them. As a teenager, I didn't especially like some of them. But now, as a twenty-something, I respect and appreciate them so, so much.

1: No electronic devices. Period. We couldn't even bring portable CD players/mp3 players for the 3 hour bus ride up there! Don't even ASK to bring some kind of personal gaming device. Nothing was allowed that would promote time alone. The entire week centered around getting to know and getting invested in the people around you. And if you thought that meant only the people you regularly hung out with, you were mistaken. Preteens spent time with teens, annoying boys spent time with girls that had cooties, teenagers spent time talking to the junior counselors and counselors, and everyone had an age-appropriate Bible class that required interaction. 

One of the problems I see with young people today is that they aren't forming relationships within their youth groups. In order to grow and thrive, you need those relationships. You need to form deep, spiritual bonds with people so that they can help you remain faithful during a very difficult time. Plus, forming bonds with people of every age, and even with people with personalities you might not normally want to--you are learning how to function in Christ's body. As adults, we are very aware that there are certain groups of people we feel more comfortable sitting or conversing with, but as the body of Christ, we are called to all be in fellowship. Learning how to get along at such a young age (when getting along with anyone for an extended period of time is tough) will be such a benefit later in life. 

2: No immodest clothing, at all. No spaghetti straps, no shorts that didn't go down to your knee, no white t-shirts going to or from the pool, no low-cut shirts, nothing tight, nothing see-through. There are two instances that vividly stick out in my mind in regards to "camp attire". Every year before camp I would have to go to Old Navy and stock up on boys gym shorts, because they just don't sell girls shorts that are long enough. But, if you were going to play walleyball or raquetball or basketball or anything else (and you were going to play--group activities were mandatory, even if you weren't athletic), then you wanted shorts. And, unless you wanted to be sent back to the dorms to change, you had to be wearing something appropriate. The other instance that stands out in my mind was when my preacher called out some teen girls and made them go change their shirts. They were pretty low cut shirts, but they had something under them. Still, he said that it drew attention to them and he was not going to have that. All these years later (probably about 10), I still remember that conversation and I still think about it when I get dressed. How important to have people who will challenge young people to dress in a way that reflects their Savior!

Aren't these great regulations for all us to continue practicing? I simply won't wear things that I wouldn't have been able to get away with at camp. Why? Because if I couldn't wear them there, and I wouldn't want for teenagers to wear them now, why would I promote that on my body? Why would I wear something I wouldn't be comfortable with every single person copying? 

3: Spiritual things come first. Every morning we would get together and have some "wake-up" songs by Lonnie (and you better be on time if you don't want to be singled out!), then we'd all go to breakfast together, then we would all come back and have a devotional. After the devotional, we would break up into Bible classes that lasted about an hour. After our Bible class, we came back together and had another devotional, and by that time it was time for lunch. Our entire morning was spent praising and learning about God. After lunch, we had group activities that always had a spiritual application thanks to Lonnie. Then, it was time to play sports or do crafts for a couple of hours, then we would go swimming (separately, of course). After swimming we had dinner (and you had better take modest clothing or else you would not be permitted back into the dining room), and after dinner we had about 30 minutes to shower and then be back for yet another devotional. The majority of every day was spent focusing on the spiritual, as it should be.

What a great lesson for life! What percentage of your day is spent focusing on the spiritual? Maybe Sunday's the majority is spiritual emphasis, but what about Monday through Saturday? How much time are we devoting to prayer? How often do we praise God through song? How many times do we get out our Bibles and study from His word? I know that I can learn a great deal by looking back at the schedule I kept when I was at camp. In my adult life, I definitely need to do better. 

4: You do not act silly when you are praising God. When it was time for devotionals to start, we would have periods of 20 or 30 minutes where we just sang praises to God. During those in between moments when it's oh so tempting to cut up or laugh or yell out the number that you want...we just couldn't. Those moments were precious, because we were offering the fruit of our lips to God. It wasn't a time to joke around or act up. It wasn't a time to sleep or nod off. It was a time to focus. 

I am so thankful that I was taught at such a young age that when it comes to praising God or worshipping Him, it is a time of reverence. In an age where everyone wants to be entertained and "get something out of" worship, what a great thing to acknowledge why you're there--it's not for selfish reasons at all. 

5: Respect your elders. This wasn't a suggestion. If someone older than you came in the room and you had a seat on the couch or in a chair, you got up. If a counselor of any age told you to do something, you did it. There was no such thing as usurping authority, because the threat of making your parents come get you was real (and even happened on occasion). 

In the church today, there are countless people who disrespect the elders. Jesus Christ has given authority to specific ones in the church (and it's His body, so we don't really get a say on whether we like it). Yet some people bash the elders, completely disregard what they say/ask, and speak ill toward them. I wish I could say, "Respect your elders. This is not a suggestion." If they show you something in your life that you need to change, change it. Don't act like the 13-year-old who doesn't think her shorts are too short and defiantly states she isn't changing. Have a heart that wants to submit. 

There are so many other things that I could tell you that I learned from my time at camp. Instead I will close with two valuable lessons that I learned:

 Spiritual people are more attractive. Everyone knows that the camp atmosphere produces severe crushes for young people. The thing is, at a camp like the one I went to, no one was really drawn to or attracted to the person who cut up during class or zoned out or was rude. Instead, the boys in the youth group who were the most sought-after were the ones who would lead prayers or songs. The ones who always brought their Bibles and would talk to you after Bible class to share what they'd learned. 

Why aren't more people interested in dating/marrying spiritual people? Why are spiritual people not the most attractive outside of the camp setting? I am so, so thankful that I learned that lesson so many years ago, otherwise I may have been tempted to go to Freed-Hardeman and find a "man" who slept during chapel or skipped all the devotionals or slacked off in Bible class or refused to be a leader at the Henderson 5:45 student-led service. 

You have a responsibility to those younger than you. I can remember being a 3rd through 7th grader and how fun it was to hang out with the "older kids". I'm sure we were annoying and I'm sure we didn't add much of anything to their camp experience. But wow, did they make mine that much more enjoyable! I remember hearing Mr. Tim talk about how if the older didn't invest in the next generation, the youth group would fall apart. 

I wish this lesson could be taught to every single member of the Lord's body. Take responsibility for those younger than you, because they are the future of the church. If you're 80, teach those that are 60 what they can do to fill your shoes, etc. etc. 

What kinds of things did you learn as a child that you are so thankful to have learned? 

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Immodest Clothing

I couldn't start a post on immodesty without linking you to some amazing stuff written by Jennifer Gerhardt. Scroll back through her old posts and read all about modesty. It's some incredible stuff.

Being the first day of spring, immodest clothing season is rapidly approaching. I think it's important for us to purpose from the very beginning that we want to be modest this year, in every way. I will be focusing on the "usual" modesty topic---you know, the one that talks about covering up. Jennifer addressed so many amazing things in her posts and I think you should take the time to read her thoughts on what it means to be truly modest. I'll just be focusing on this one way.

Every year tells the same tale: girls who are Christians don't clothe themselves with Christ during the hotter months. That's a blanket statement, and in no way do I think that all girls dress immodestly. However, I know it is a struggle for even the girls with the purest of motives. Manufacturers don't make a lot of modest clothes. So even if you want to, it's difficult.

Still, some girls don't seem to want to. Tank tops and cleavage and thighs and bikinis abound from March through September. There isn't much left to anyone's imagination. There definitely isn't a lot left for their future husbands. Now I know that the overwhelming majority of people who read my posts aren't teenage girls, but I know some moms read it. I know some dads read it. I know some college-aged singles read it. And guess what? Modesty is for all of us.

While I'm not a parent, I can assure you that you hold so much power in how your child dresses and will continue to dress. I can remember going shopping with my mom when I was young (maybe 8 or so) and she wouldn't let me buy tank tops. I thought, Mom, that's crazy! And yet, when I was a teenager, I wasn't tempted to wear spaghetti strap tank tops or tube tops (though that doesn't mean that I didn't go through my rebellious stages at times). My mom had instilled in me that it wasn't appropriate to wear things like that. Had my mom let me wear things like that until I was 12 or 13 and then one day say, "well I don't think that's really appropriate", I might have gotten mixed signals. Having boundaries at an early age helped me stay away from those things that would hurt my influence when I was older. I can also remember an instance when I was in high school, perhaps a freshman or sophomore, and I came bustling down the stairs in something that was too short. My mom immediately sent me upstairs to change. I can't tell you where I was going, what I was wearing, or anything like that, but I can tell you that I remember the lesson. I was irritated at the time because I wanted to "fit in", but looking back, I'm thankful that my mom taught me to be separate. After all, that's what being holy really means.

Really, though, modesty starts in the heart. If your heart is right with and close to God, you will try to clothe yourself with Christ, not the world. Instead of trying to impress the boys or girls at school, you will try to live in a way that God wants you to, constantly trying to please Him. If your heart isn't close to Him, why would you be expected to alter the way you dress? That would be going through the motions, wouldn't it? It is only when we give our hearts to God that we give Him our entire body as well.

Are you a Christian? Think back to the time you were baptized. That wasn't a flippant thing. When we are baptized, we put on Christ (Gal 3:27). You read that right, we "put on". What other kinds of things do we put on? Right--apparel. When we wake up each morning, we should put on Christ first. Before we walk to our closet, before we mentally start checking off which things are clean and which are dirty, we should pray to our Father that we will act like Christ. When that is our mindset, the rest will be easy. We won't wear clothes that draw attention to ourselves--we'll want people to see Christ in us. We won't wear clothes that are too tight or too low cut or too short--we'll want others to know that Jesus lives inside of us. We won't make excuses for why we're being immodest (nothing fits me right, my ___ is/are just too big)--we'll be seeking God first, self second.

There is so much more to modesty, and that's why I linked you to Jennifer's blog. I do think it's important, though, that we all prepare for the warm weather we're about to experience by first putting on Christ, then selecting our summer wardrobe accordingly.

I want to leave you with the wise words of Paul, specifically addressing the ladies:

"...that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works." -1 Tim 2:9-10, emp. added. 

Don't think of it as having restrictions because you're a female. Instead, think of it as a way to outwardly express your godliness every single day