If an apostle were to write a message to address modesty in the church today, I imagine it would read something like this:
Wassup, ‘Merica! Greetings from all yo’ homies over here. Peace! For God’s sake, quit taking vacations to 3rd world countries and telling people you went on a missions trip. Y’all be wearing Gucci in places they can’t even afford new shoes and clean water! Like, seriously?! And then brag about how great you are! Dawg! Stop making others feel like they’re less than you because you have more than they do. That’s not the Way. Quit posing for pictures with the starving kids to post on Instagram for likes & followers. Be a follower: sell your diamonds, home, and car, and join them in the dirt. Get on your face and repent! The blessings of the Gospel are for them as much as it is for you. Quit hoarding treasures in the last days. Can I remind you that we serve ONE God? We’re supposed to be one body of believers… a family! Exercise some self-control and moderation! It matters. Think about how your excess of putting on SO MUCH XTRA is causing others to feel ashamed and not good enough.Put off your Gucci ways and put on some Goodwill!
Growing up, the kids from families with money were called preps. They dressed well, wore name-brand clothes, had money at the book fair, and bought food from the a la carte line. They went to church every week; others considered them to come from good, respectable Christian families. They were the ones who defined what was in.
Some kids felt like they would never be enough to qualify for homecoming court, and some would never have a professional hair stylist do their hair for prom. While kids shared vacation stories, some only dreamed of going somewhere.
I’m afraid we have missed what is being addressed in the Bible when it addresses modesty. In doing so, we set ourselves up to cultivate a culture that places shame on girls for wearing tank tops and blames them for making others sin.
It begs the question: What happened to the Gospel? What happened to personal responsibility?
Consequently, we’ve divided the body of Christ into categories, put people in groups, and are okay with “us and them.” We don’t even see how that’s preventing whole people groups from hearing the Gospel!
I am a fixer. I want to fix all the things I see that need fixing. Unfortunately, my trying to identify wrong thinking sometimes adds to the problem I’m trying to address. I’ve unrighteously judged this topic so many times. I simply long to encourage the body of Christ to be more inclusive, build bridges, and become more others-oriented. I’m convicted that there are days I think more about where I placed my phone than where people are headed without Christ.
I am sorry. I want to build bridges, find and teach practical ways to love people right where they are and uncover truths that can set people free. But in my frustration, I’ve addressed issues without listening to the Holy Spirit. Over the years, I have learned that there is always a godly way to pursue God’s will. So, I’m reevaluating old blog posts and asking the Lord for guidance.
The Scripture speaks to many issues. Imagine the revival! I can see it now: people owning their own sins & repenting for unrighteously judging others as shameful temptations rather than souls valued by God!
People are made in God’s image and are God’s greatest creation. Yet there are days when I care more about some silly worldly possession than I do about the person standing right in front of me. And I am sorry. I have fallen into the pitfall of putting on Gucci ways even though I am sold out for Goodwill.
I don’t want my life to teach people to lust their lives away, dreaming dreams that do not align with Scripture. We’re lost in Gucci but found when we give our lives away in Goodwill. Do you know who I see at Goodwill? I was just there this morning. I see normal people who aren’t overly concerned with their own image. I see people looking to find a deal, save a buck, or just browse because they’re addicts like me. Regardless, it’s easier to see people when you’re about Goodwill than you are about Gucci. Gucci isn’t just about money. You can be a tightwad and still end up in Gucci.
I looked up the term Gucci. According to the first Google results that came up, Gucci means good, cool, or excellent.
This is where I think it gets interesting. If we make modesty about what we think is culturally good, cool, and excellent rather than what God calls good, we’ll find ourselves stuck and confused in Gucci. Gucci and Goodwill can both become idols, or they can both become shortstops as God takes us from glory to glory. We’ll have seasons in our lives where we’ll stop for a spell in Gucci, rendezvous in Goodwill, and then tarry a while at the Gap. Ultimately, if we keep going and we don’t give up if we keep pursuing Christ, we’ll stay together about the Gospel. When we do this, we won’t die for Gucci, Goodwill, or the Gap. Those become lesser than hills to die on. But when we are about the Gospel, it doesn’t matter where we are in this world as long as we stay focused on what God says is important.
Christ’s robe is big enough to cover all of our weaknesses. We can reach out for that hem and be healed. If we take the planks out of our eyes, we’ll see people the way God does, and whether they’re in Gucci or the Gap, we can act in goodwill toward them and be about what we really should be about in the first place, the Gospel.
Whether the planks look like offense from skin revealing spaghetti straps, gluttonous tendencies lusting after spaghetti and meatballs, or dividing people up like waffles and spaghetti, we need to straighten up our noodles and fix our minds on Christ.
Write Now! 