Hey Ladies:

Well, our Sunday School class discussion took a spontaneous turn today to discuss the way we dress. We have to believe that the Lord orchestrated the time for all of us to share. I went home and looked up some Scripture that I thought would be useful for all of us.

First, I hope no one would feel that there are "Clothes Police" lurking around the church now. I don't think any of us have that intention or desire in our hearts. We don't want people feeling unduly paranoid about their dress. None of us would want people to all of a sudden throw a blanket over themselves when they see someone coming!!! We do have a lot of freedom in Christ, the freedom to do what's right. Because of that freedom, it is wise to be aware of our witness and influence. We just all have to be mindful of the timeless beauty and worth that we need to exude as daughters of the King. I think most of the women in our church dress quite tastefully and modestly. There is a lot of room for individual taste and expression.

The five Scripture references are found in Titus 2:3-5, I Timothy 2:9-11,15 and I Peter 3:3-6, I Corinthians 6:18-20, Romans 13:14-15:6.

I think the guidelines from these Scripture passages are:

1. Titus 2:3-5 - Be discreet and chaste. Practice discernment in how we shop, dress, live, and walk in this world.

2. I Timothy 2:9-10 - "in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or pearl or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness with good works." This was in the context of worship and church. This passage seems to indicate that "flashy" and "sexy" should not be two adjectives that describe our dress!!

3. I Peter 3:3-5 - "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." There should be more to us than meets the eye. We shouldn't dress in a way that people feel so uncomfortable with what meets their eye that they can't see beyond it!

4. I Corinthians 6:18-20 - Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should adorn it to reflect the Holy, Almighty, timeless King who dwells within. He is eternal, and worthy of our praise and submission to let Him shine. If our clothing brings attention to us rather than to Him who dwells within, then we are missing the point of the purpose of our bodies.

5. Romans 13:14-15:6 - We need to consider others that might not be comfortable with our "liberty", put on clothing of the Lord Jesus Christ and act in LOVE (especially to our brothers in Christ!). Take it from good authority (Arthur and all the guys he has spoken to), it IS every man's battle!!!

Anyway, I don't think any of us would desire to bring any unnecessary, legalistic, specific restriction to bear on anyone. Strapless, length of skirt, lingerie style tops and fabrics were all discussed in class. I think we should all feel the liberty to wear these clothes if they do indeed meet the Scriptural requirements. We live before an audience of One. It can cut both ways. We dress to please the Lord, not because it pleases or displeases another person (the Lord is our judge), though we do need to be mindful and respectful of what others think (out of love for them). We ultimately need to walk by the faith that we have from His Word.

These are just some thoughts. Email back to all any comments you may have. Have a great week being His child.

Love in Him,

Sandra