Clothing fit for The King

and no The King isnt elvis.... >_< this is an article on attire that i will be submitting to Epistole, the newsletter arm of VCF. enjoy! this will also probably be my last post for the next 3 wks as i jet off to europe, for some well deserved R&R!! byeeee (((:


*Clothing fit for The King*




Mini Skirt : +25 to “sex appeal”
+ 15 to “self confidence”
- 20 to “decent image”
(note: attributes will stack with other apparel such as tube tops, spaghetti straps and sport bra lines, allowing players to level up faster)

The above is a rather popular article of clothing worn by young girls today, as they immerse themselves in the immensely popular role-playing game (RPG) called “Life”. Guys too, aren’t exempt as they buy the most outrageous outfits and accessories to project a certain image for the approval of their peers. Is it wrong to want to dress nicely? Where should the line (if any) be drawn vis-à-vis Christian and secular values prevalent amongst our youth today? Lastly, this being a Christian newsletter, what does the Bible have to say regarding this issue?

Firstly, let me state categorically that I have nothing against the desire to dress nicely, and I believe in the importance of dressing well, according to the different social situations that we find ourselves in. The issue here is the Image that we consciously or unconsciously portray as a result of an Inappriopriate Dress Sense that causes unnecessary attention or friction between ourselves and the people that we are with at that point in time. Examples abound. The girl in church wearing a skimpy number that causes all the guys around her to be distracted, the guy with a death metal rock emblem emblazoned on his shirt trying to do street evangelism, the group that volunteers to serve as church ushers dressed in t-shirt and flip-flops….extreme examples no doubt, but one that illustrates the point mentioned above.

The truth of course, is far greyer. A line has to be drawn demarcating the point at which good taste and common decency act as a counterpoint to the vagaries of fashion and the vicissitudes of teenage opinions. Hence I will attempt to provide here the ABCs as a guideline to what constitutes good attire, and what does not.

Avert your eyes! This is especially applicable to the men amongst us today. Do we (yes myself included) need yet another reminder that to look at a woman with lust is already committing adultery under the laws of God? It is never quite within our control to decide what the girls will wear, but how we choose to react and respond to such distractions would definitely make a difference between spending quality time with God, and the reverse, which would be to sin against God by pandering to this aspect of our earthly desires. It really is as serious as that!

Be considerate. This is for the girls. The Bible clearly states that one should not do anything that would cause their fellow brother to stumble. If a guy feedbacks to you about your attire (or lack thereof), don’t take it as a compliment! Neither should you castigate him for being a busybody. Instead, ponder over the real reason why you choose to don that sexy number more fit for the nightclub than that Sunday worship service. I believe the subsequent attention you receive can hardly be considered as flattering (although it may feel good for a short while) as it denigrates you as a person and reduces you to a mere object of surreptitious voyeurism on the part of most males present. I believe I speak for all girls when they say that that is the absolute Worst Thing that can happen to them on any given day!

Christ Centered, Always. Let us never forget that we are constantly under His Scrutiny as well as under the scrutiny of other people like our fellow church goers, our elders, our parents and for some of us, our younger cell members or siblings that are under our charge and over whom we consciously or unconsciously exert a great deal of influence over. Bear in mind that our bodies are a holy temple of God, and what we choose to clothe it in as we enter into His Courts to worship Him is a definite reflection of our attitude and the deference that we accord The King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords!

Yours in Christ
Joshua
Faculty of Medicine