Dress how you want in Jesus’ Name?!?!??

Well, looks like the church is riding the fence on this one! Before I share my thoughts about this subject, I will begin with this question from Megan Good that was posted on her Instagram account….

“Why would anyone ever want to be a Christian when you see how they treat each other?”

So…what happened?!?

On a promotional tour of the couples’ new book on abstinence before marriage called “The Wait” on Valentine’s Day, a woman who was apart of the audience had a “question” during the Q & A portion of the meet. This was her comment:

“This is not offensive, but I was at the grocery store and I looked at a newsstand and I saw you, and you had your breast showing,” one woman in the audience said. “So, so, I wasn’t gonna come here, I wasn’t, but the Lord brought me here to see you. You’re beautiful. You are a beautiful young woman, and your testimony is awesome. It’s awesome. Amen. Amen! And the Lord let me come and push past the judgment … because you have to make sure what you say and what you do match up, you understand? So we gonna cover up, right?”

I’m pretty sure everyone’s jaw dropped to hear this, including Meagan Good. Her husband came to her defense as any husband who love their wife would do…but he lost me at “She can wear whatever she want in the Name of Jesus!” Ummm, sir…. Tis not true! The bible speaks clearly about modesty.

“I desire…that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.“ 1 Timothy 2:8-10

While what you wear can speak volumes about you, it can easily be mistaken as well…modesty, I believe, is the state of one’s heart. Perfect example… A young lady comes to church with skin tight clothes and breasts exposed. What is your first thought? Perhaps she’s a prostitute. Maybe, but she came to the church! The church isn’t for perfect people..AND the church isn’t a fashion show. The church is for the lost to be found…the church is for conviction and comfort… if you are apart of the Body of Christ, then you too are the church. In my honest opinion (there wouldn’t be no other way), I believe the audience member was out of line. No way was it acceptable to start off your comment about someone with “This is not offensive”… you shut their ears at the first sentence! God is not out of order and that was completely out of order. I know Meagan Good is human and she professes Christ and by the looks of it (or that was her acting skills at work LOL), but I truly believe she is struggling with the topic anyway. It’s us typical church folk who is quick to judge. No one knows the heart of the person or what they’re truly going through unless you are transparent. But how do you reach someone like Meagan Good? Honestly, I don’t know, but God has people assigned to certain people. The statement the audience member made was quite distasteful especially because she threw God in the mix. GOD IS ALL ABOUT ORDER. But check this out…. look at what Good as on during this engagement and every other church engagement they attend… she’s fully clothed. She knows enough not to wear what she would wear on the Red Carpet or Movie Premieres to the church. Maybe if she had everything out, maybe something should have been said.

Well, back to her husband (Devon Franklin). In every way, he was right to defend his wife and I believe he spoke out of anger. There’s no way he can fix his mouth to believe that his wife can dress how she want IN THE NAME OF JESUS…but in the culture we live in, it just might be okay in his eyes. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with dressing up for your husband, but there is a place for that as my BFF in my head (Ayesha Curry) stated before.

But in defense to all who is struggling in the heart, God sees you. I was once ridiculed because of what I wore to church. By no means was I revealing, but the color I decided to wear was too much for the saints. I came to church with a red skirt that was pleated in the back…SO FREAKING CUTE…but IT WAS RED! Since when the color red was ungodly? I was highly offended, but because I was secured in my relationship with Jesus, I didn’t let it bother me…but who is to say it won’t bother the next girl who wears red? Or cleavage is revealed? She may turn away from God, never to experience the love He has for her because a “Saint” got to her first.

We must examine our motives and think before we speak… Christian or not!

So in closing… LOL… Modesty is not about your clothes only, but about your attitude and behavior. You can be fully dressed, head to pinky toe and be jacked up!

Modesty is about who you worship. Wow!! Deep right?!?! The God we serve is about us reflecting him, being an example… holiness..fruit bearers, seed sowers…being holy in your communication and entertainment.

Modesty is true freedom. Culture sees it as opposite, but when you truly think about it, the world is wrapped around the idea of freedom as self-love and expression as in our body is art, explore it, show it off. True freedom is being sober minded and respectable and not being a sexual nuisance or a slave to sin.

The next time you see a young girl in whom you discern is dealing with matters of the heart, talk to her. Don’t be so quick to condemn her…everyone needs the love of God. Conviction will always cause change, but when you put yourself in it, you’ll take the love and discipline away from the only One who brings change.

All you have to do is be the willing to put your thoughts and opinion of others aside, God will definitely do the rest.