Today I am taking all parents to the mat!!! On the topic of...Purity. What does it look like according to Christ's guidelines. We need to know this before we take our kids school shopping. Some of you might have to return a thing or two or maybe the whole wardrobe after you hear how serious an issue this is. Parents, stop being push overs! Stop letting your 14-18-whatever age your kids are still living under your roof, eating your food, driving your car and using your utilities dictate to you what they will and will not wear, entering and leaving your home. Whether they have a little job or not does not give them the power of determination to be sovereign in their lives. This is a great place to put my...GET A GRIP! Romans 13:14 says, "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." This generation lives by very loose dress codes. You know I am telling the truth, how many times have you seen, in just the past week at least one if not more teenage girls wearing something that you knew was an eye catcher for young men? It may have been how tight the jeans were, how short the shorts were, how tight the shirt was, noticing that the young girl forgot to put her bra on...LOL...Not. She did it intentionally. I urge you to make a choice for God in all that you do, including the purchasing of school clothes. This is not a time to bow down to the god of materialism, the god of peer pressure, nor the god of the pleading children. We as believers are called to be consistent in our walk with God. If we do not model this for our kids then how and where will they learn to be pure? Now moms and grandmoms, this may step on your toes too but if you can't take a simple pin to the mat then who is your power source? We need to not just follow God when it is convenient or easy but all times in everything. This is the only way we can truly be considered salt and light and have the strength to penetrate this dark and depraved world. Unfortunately, for many of us, it has become easier for the enemy to convince us to adopt a mind set that fits in with the characteristics of the world. In the words of Elijah the prophet, found in 1Kings 18:1-40, when speaking to the Israelites, he says, "How much longer will you waiver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, then follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" You shouldn't be too surprised to know that the crowd was silent. What is your answer to this question? Are you waivering in your stand for Christ regarding your kids dress code, maybe your own dress code...I think I heard a pin drop!Our profession of Christ should be not just with our mouth but it should be evident in our whole presentation. We must help our children make a stand and not allow then to throw out their purity in exchange for their popularity. We forget that our clothing affects how others look at us and it speaks volumes to who they think we are. I remember my teenage son telling me that it doesn't matter if he wears clothes that imply he might hang with the wrong crowd...his "TEENAGE" theory was that people shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but it is usually the cover that fortells the story of the book. So you know what I told him, right? GET A GRIP!Let's not forget the point of our lives...is it not to lead others to Christ? Tell me how we will accomplish this looking and dressing just like the world, where is the obvious difference? I am sure you heard the passage of scripture and if you haven't I am sure your kids can quote it for you...."man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart," so why stress over the wardrobe you ask? I read something in a book recently that answers that question quite well....and here is the answer....always remember that "our clothing reflects our character, just as if you were in a play and you had to pick a costume to reflect the character you were portraying." Holiness should be our goal at all times! I believe that we can get so caught up in our clothing and image that people can no longer see Christ. I am not saying that our kids have to get the latest nerd clothing, I am just say that we need to make sure that theirs as well as our "walk it out" is in line with what you want to portray. Bottoms hanging out, cleavage showing , waists being exposed jeans so tight it creates muffin tops, will not draw people to Christ but may distract them from seeing God in you.My question to you is....If someone's opinion of Christ was strictly based on how you or your children dressed or behaved would there be enough evidence to prove that you are Christian whose lifestyle reflects your desire to glorify God?
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3 comments:
Excellent blog. So true. We should try to be like Christ in every aspect of our lives. Before we get dressed we should stop and ask ourselves "what would Jesus say if He saw us "- because He does see us and what we wear. He sees our hearts too and if we truly want to please Him in our hearts, we won't dress in a manner that would bring His name anything less than glory.
Asking themselves what Jesus would think about their outfits may help young people and old people alike better choices on how they will represent Christ.
I agree! I have such a passion to show and teach young ladies about modesty! I do walk the walk as well as talk the talk!! I agree, you can dress "hip and cool" but still reflect Christ.
Blessings,
LaTonya
This devotional was very true and correct the whole way around. I have learned that the way you dress does affect how people think of you. Your body is a temple so when you wear certain clothes and show certain parts of your body that should be kept hidden.....it looses its worth. I was guilty of wanting to wear tight clothes and pants until I realized that i just look like everbody else which was not pleasing to God because everbody is not a Christian.
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