We know about dressing for success in the workplace. Did you know that the same principle applies to our Christian lifestyle? Our manner of dressing indicates our roles and our inherent values. So, as ambassadors of Christ, we should be willing to sacrifice the totality of our beings to serve as His representatives in the earth. I am a Christian female, and so this article is written from my perspective. I’m not bashing anyone. I am simply sharing what the Spirit of God has laid on my heart. Keep reading as I explore how dressing for success in the Kingdom context is a part of our purity requirements as singles (and couples).
Render Your Heart and Not Your Garments?
I am a Jamaican and I would like to share (and disprove) a common statement that is tossed around whenever modesty is discussed. The statement is: “The Bible says we must render our hearts and not our garments!” Wrong! Completely wrong! There is absolutely no scripture in the Bible that says that. Here’s the scripture that is often misquoted:
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
You can see that the word used is “rend” meaning “to tear”. In ancient Hebrew custom, one would physically tear one’s clothes to express deep sorrow, remorse, and anguish. In this case, the Prophet Joel is telling Israel to not engage in outward signs of repentance, but to repent in their hearts, and return to the Lord. So, we have settled the matter of this often misquoted scripture. Now, let’s explore the importance of dressing for success in the Kingdom!
Dressing for Success in Personal Growth
While the Lord considers the state of our hearts,1 He also expects us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives.2 As I also discuss in my YouTube video “Does Clothing Matter?” our mode of dressing is very important. Modesty is a requirement not just for singles, but for everyone in the body of Christ. The Lord also gave me Romans 12:1-2, a well-known, oft memorized scripture:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It is clear that Jesus expects us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. A sacrifice is when we surrender something (of value to us) for the sake of other considerations. In this case, we are giving up our bodies and everything pertaining to it (such as our dress) for the cause of Christ, to follow Him wholly. But a part of us being able to make this surrender, is that our minds have to be renewed as we put on the mind of Christ.3
My Personal Testimony
I was baptized into the apostolic faith just before my 11th birthday and I received the gift of the Holy Spirit before my 12th birthday.4 My dressing was conservative (compared to the Jamaican society) and I had no problems. I was taught to dress modestly by my mother and older women in the church. As I grew older, I began to experiment with different types of dressing (mainly pants and sleeveless tops). However, in the midst of this experimentation, I never crossed certain boundaries. I never exposed my erogenous zones5, because I always felt the need to keep them covered. So, that meant no Daisy Dukes (or bum shorts), miniskirts, or showing of any cleavage. I always had a check in my spirit when it came to such outfits.
Growing in Christ and My Dress Sense
As I grew in my relationship with Christ, I began to hear Him more clearly. I not only looked to my Daddy Jesus for guidance on the weighty matters of life, I also looked to Him for guidance in my dressing. As I try on clothes in stores’ dressing rooms, I make sure that I can do a full Hallelujah pose.6 I also bend at the waist, do high steps, and do a full 360 turn to observe and ensure that all erogenous zones are covered. But for me, it’s not just about coverage of these zones, but that they are not protruding and/or revealing their every detail through the fabric of my clothing.
I fluctuate in my weight, so every time I select an outfit from my closet, I try it on before I prepare it to be worn outside my house. I check to make sure that the modesty and comfort protocols are still met. Sometimes, the Lord will direct me to put a modest outfit back in the closet and wear another. I strongly believe that Jesus does care about how we dress. So, I encourage you to also allow our Lord Jesus to direct your dressing. If He knows the number of our hair strands, then I am sure that dressing for success in the Kingdom of God also brings Him joy!
Dressing for Success in Community
We are not called to serve Jesus Christ in a vacuum. We are called to serve Him within the context of a community. So, that means that we have a responsibility to others as well. We are all “living stones, [and] are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”.7 Therefore, each of us should ensure that our words, deeds, and yes, dressing, does not pose a stumbling block to others:
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
This excerpt was the Apostle Paul’s resolution for the debate about the correct diet and day of worship. The issue of dress in the body of Christ is similar, in that it is also a greatly debated topic. So, like Paul, I encourage you to consider others and their Christ walk. Even if your style of dressing does not hinder you in worshipping Christ, you also need to consider others. Does your dressing cause a distraction? Does your dressing pull others’ minds into lustful thoughts, or does it push them towards Christ? Each of us will need to give an account to God. The true intents of every person’s heart are before Him, the Righteous Judge. So, let’s resolve to maintain purity in our dressing.
The Cultural Dimension
There is a cultural aspect to consider as well. From one culture to the next, from one ethnic group to the other, what counts as modest dressing differs. However, I don’t want us to fall into the trap of following what our culture and ethnic group does. Why? This is because we are actually called to be citizens of another realm, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. So, while we are obedient to the laws of the land,8 we are still called to live our lives according to biblical standards. Therefore, when it comes to dressing for success in community with others, the Kingdom of Heaven trumps culture!
The Situational Dimension
I understand that there will be times when your usual daily outfit would need to change. There are formal events that you will have to attend, and you will need to meet the dress code. However, a common question is what to wear to the beach. In my opinion, bikinis and speedos tend to be too revealing when it comes to certain erogenous areas. I would suggest shorts for men with a singlet, and a modest one-piece for women. I have my special beach outfit: a t-shirt and shorts that are thigh-length (with sufficient undergarments).
Call to Women
We have to consider our clothing options. As godly women, our focus should not just be on outward adornment. We should also be concerned about having an “incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”9 So, while clothing matters, we need to ensure that we are pursuing holiness in every area of our lives.
Call to Men
However, modesty is not all about us women! Men also need to be aware of how their clothing options affect others. The muscle shirts and ultra-tight pants can be quite distracting! If you recall, the Temple priests in the Bible also had detailed requirements for their outfits.10 So brothers, modesty also applies to you!
Regardless of gender, it is important that we are dressing for success in our Christian community and in the world at large.
Dressing for Success in Evangelism
In Jamaica, Christians are expected to dress conservatively. This means fully covering the erogenous zones, no tight-fitting clothes, and no superfluous jewelry. A big part of any attempt to evangelize in Jamaica is that you are expected to share the name of your church and its associated denomination. Persons then use this information to evaluate whether or not they want to continue listening to you!
I am prepared to forsake anything that may cause persons to focus on them instead of focusing on the message of Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, it’s all about advancing the Kingdom agenda. Let us resolve to patiently run our race to the end to win the imperishable crown. Let us resolve to discipline ourselves in every area of our lives to be successful in this quest:
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Purity in Dressing as a Christian Single
I want you to know that the Lord Jesus loves you and He desires for you to grow in Him. I do not seek to establish myself as the authority on dressing for success in your Christ walk. However, I do want you to know that it is vital that you are led by the Holy Spirit of God in all areas of your life – including your dressing. My desire is that you will hear Jesus’ voice guiding you into a closer walk with Him. I pray that you receive His grace to be immediately obedient to His instructions. We are called to purity in Christ: inside and out. We are His ambassadors in the earth, so let us “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness”.11
May Jesus’ blessings, peace, and wisdom be upon us all.
Sophia.
- 1 Samuel 16:7.
- Please read and meditate on: 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Galatians 5:16-26; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 6:22-23; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Matthew 5:48.
- Please see Philippians 2:5-8 and Philippians 4:8.
- See Acts 2 for more information about the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Erogenous zones are those parts of our bodies that are sensitive to sexual stimulation.
- A Hallelujah pose (my term) is both arms raised above one’s head in worship.
- Please see 1 Peter 2:5-6.
- Please read Romans 13:1-6 which indicates that we need to respect the authority structure in society.
- Please see 1 Peter 3:1-4.
- Please see Exodus 39:1-31 for the detailed description of the priests’ garments.
- Please see 1 Timothy 6:11.
Great! I am blessed. It is so enriching.
I thank God that you were blessed. I pray Jesus’ blessings upon you and yours now and in the future.