When I was a little boy, probably 80% of men wore a coat and tie to our church, and 90% of women wore dresses. By the time I was in high school, 40% of men wore a coat and tie, and 50% of women wore dresses to church — the majority of both genders being middle-aged and elderly. Everyone else dressed “business casual.” Jeans were rare. Tee shirts even rarer. Shorts were never seen outside the nursery, even in mid-July.
Today, in the church I attend, no man wears a suit or sport coat unless it’s a special occasion. And ties are seen less than coats. I’d say less than 5% of women wear dresses on Sunday. Shorts, tee shirts, and sandals are commonly worn in warmer weather. My young son wonders why he has to “dress up” for church if I tell him to change into better jeans and a nicer tee shirt.
“God says virtually nothing regarding how we should dress when we come together to worship him.” Tweet Share on Facebook
In the small Protestant denomination I belong to, no pastor I know of preaches in a coat or tie on a typical Sunday. Pastors, worship team members, and other platform participants dress pretty much like everyone else minus the shorts, tee shirts, and sandals.
These changes in what people wear to church reflect the wider cultural changes over the past fifty years regarding clothing. The whole of American culture has dressed down. This has produced largely generational debates over appropriate church attire. Those who favor more formal dress suspect casual clothes reflect a disrespectful, irreverent attitude toward God. Those who favor casual dress feel it reflects a more authentic approach to God. Does either have a biblical case?
Does God tell us what we should wear to church?
More Respectful?
The debate over formal versus casual church clothing is a shrinking one for at least two reasons: 1. the pro-formal party is shrinking, and 2. the pro-formal remnant is now so outnumbered it hardly seems worth the effort to argue.
Most folks who lament the casual trend came of age in an era where public dress in general was more formal. They, like most people in every era, simply assumed their own cultural norms. It just wasn’t “right” to wear casual clothes in certain places, especially in church.
“We can turn any clothing item or style into an expression of self-centered, self-exalting self-worship.” Tweet Share on Facebook
So, as the cultural clothing norms changed, and people — typically younger people — started wearing casual clothes to those places, including church, it felt “wrong.” It felt like a form of disrespect, even rebellion, toward the older generations. In church, it felt like disrespect, even rebellion, toward God.
But is this true? Certainly, on the microlevel of sinful individuals, plenty of rebellion toward elders and God took place, just as it has in all generations. The pro-formal crowd had their own generational expressions of rebellion. But from a biblical standpoint, there is no compelling exegetical case to be made that more formal dress is de facto more respectful toward God than casual dress. Church clothing is a preference formed by culture and tradition.
More Authentic?
On the other hand, many of those who embrace the trend toward more casual have come of age during the dressing-down decades, and they are just as vulnerable to assuming the cultural norms that have shaped them. It feels “fine” to wear jeans and a tee shirt to church, perhaps the same ones worn on Saturday. But why does it feel okay?
As I mentioned before, “authenticity” is the most popular answer. We are coming to God as we are, putting on no airs or masks with him.
It sounds good, but I don’t really buy it. Wearing casual clothes is no more de facto spiritually authentic than formal clothes are de facto spiritually respectful. We might not be at all authentic standing before God in our jeans. We may choose casual clothes primarily to fit in socially, or to attract attention to ourselves, or to nurture a “cool” image. In other words, we may wear casual clothes to church and worship God with our lips, while our hearts are far from him (Isaiah 29:13).
Perhaps casual clothes can help us approach God more authentically in ways formal clothes don’t. Perhaps formal clothes can help us express respect and reverence toward God in ways casual clothes don’t. I have significant doubts about both.
What God Wants Us to Wear
“God does not explicitly endorse either formal or casual clothes in corporate worship.” Tweet Share on Facebook
God does not explicitly endorse either formal or casual clothes in corporate worship. He doesn’t even enter the debate. In fact, outside of ritual Levitical laws that no longer apply in the new covenant, God says virtually nothing regarding how we should dress when we come together to worship him.
It’s not that clothing doesn’t matter to God. Clothing matters a great deal to God — just not in the same ways or for the same reasons it typically matters to us. God refuses to decide the formal-casual debate, but he does explicitly tell us what he wants us to wear to church:
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
What are we supposed to wear? Humility.
All clothing — formal, casual, work, sport, beachwear, sleepwear, underwear, headwear, every other kind of wear — can be a source of great pride. There isn’t a clothing item or style that we can’t turn into an expression of self-centered, self-exalting self-worship.
But if we clothe ourselves with humility, if we “count others more significant than [ourselves],” and “look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others,” then no matter how we dress, we will honor and reflect Christ (Philippians 2:3–4).
The Clothes Inside Us
“If we clothe ourselves with humility, then no matter how we dress, we will honor and reflect Christ.” Tweet Share on Facebook
God doesn’t specify what external clothes honor him most, because he cares what our hearts wear. What’s inside of us either honors him or dishonors him — either approaches him with authenticity or with inauthenticity. If our hearts are wearing humility, no matter what we wear, we will dress in loving ways. If our hearts are wearing pride, formal clothes will always be disrespectful and casual clothes will always be inauthentic.
If our hearts are wearing humility, what will matter to us is whether God is glorified and others are loved. But if our hearts are wearing pride, we will disregard God’s glory and others’ spiritual health in favor of our personal preferences and freedoms.
And, in the end, if our hearts are wearing humility, we will think of our clothes as little as possible when we draw near to God together in worship.
REFERENCE
DESIRINGGOD.COM
What do you think is the most repeated command in the Bible?
It’s not any of the prohibitions or warnings. It’s not about sex, or money, or power. The most repeated command in the Bible will probably surprise you: Be happy. God tells us more than anything else, in different ways, to “praise the Lord,” “do not be afraid,” “rejoice,” and “give thanks” — all of which are commands, in essence, to be happy.
Don’t move past this too quickly. Let it sink in: more than anything else, God commands us to be happy. God wants you to be truly, deeply happy. Not just in heaven someday. Not when circumstances take a turn for the better. Not when the sorrow or the darkness finally lifts. God wants you to taste real joy today. Now.
I in no way mean to trivialize the trials you may be experiencing. The suffering may be exquisite, the sorrow almost drowning, the fear near paralyzing. The Bible is as real-life as it gets. God says a lot about sin, sorrow, grief, pain, betrayal, failure, fear, horror, and wretchedness. But if you can believe it, God’s dominant theme is joy.
God wants us to know the kind of hope that has the power to produce joy in us even in painful places. He repeatedly commands us to be really, truly, deeply happy.
Why Does God Repeat Himself?
When God repeats himself, pay attention. Repetition implies importance.
That doesn’t mean that the most repeated commands are necessarily the most important commands. We know from Jesus that the most important commandments are that we love God with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29–31). But most repeated certainly means something important. And if we’re paying careful attention, we’ll recognize that the most repeated commands are means of obeying the most important commandments.
That bears repeating because of how important it is: God’s most repeated commands are means of obeying God’s most important commandments. This is amazing. There is a direct connection between loving God supremely, loving others as ourselves, and our being authentically happy. We don’t sacrifice one for the other. When God commands us to love him with all we are, or to love others with the same care and concern and grace and compassion and patience with which we love ourselves, he is not commanding us to sacrifice real, lasting, true, satisfying happiness. He’s commanding us to pursue our real, lasting, true, satisfying happiness.
Is this true? Let’s examine four oft-repeated commands in Scripture and ask what God really wants from us.
“Praise the Lord”
When God commands us to praise him, what does he want? We know he’s not after our empty lip service while our hearts wander off somewhere else (Isaiah 29:13). He’s commanding us to look at him, through what he’s revealed to us about himself, until we see some aspect of his glory that transcends the paltry or corrupt things clamoring for our attention right now — glory that produces an awe-filled joy we can’t help but express in praise.
Our delight-filled praise not only glorifies God and gives him pleasure, but also lovingly points others to the same glory we’re seeing and the same delight we’re feeling — because we always praise (to others) what delights us. God is commanding us to love him, love others, and be happy.
“Do Not Fear”
When God commands us to “not be afraid,” what does he want? He wants us to meditate on some promise he’s made us until we experience the paralyzing effects of fear melting away and our courage rising.
This bold, happy confidence in God is not only an expression of trusting love in him; it also makes us feel lovingly expansive and encouraging toward others because we’re filled with hope in God. We can’t help but want to comfort and encourage others with the comfort and courage we have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). God is commanding us to love him, love others, and be happy.
“Rejoice”
When God commands us to rejoice, what does he want? He wants us to remember that no matter what happens, nothing will separate us from his omnipotent love for us in Christ (Romans 8:38–39), that he will work all these things for our good (Romans 8:28), and that he will rescue us from every evil deed and bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18).
We express our love for God as we faithfully rest in his sovereign reign over all things — the sweet and the bitter — and we love others as we help them also faithfully rest in God’s sovereign reign too. God is commanding us to love him, love others, and be happy.
“Give Thanks”
When God commands us to give thanks, what does he want? Like John Piper says, God is not after the kind of thanks a six-year-old is forced to say to his grandma after getting black socks for Christmas. God wants us to look past the things that frustrate, anger, disappoint, discourage, sadden, and depress us, and to see his grace — his all-sufficient, abounding grace (2 Corinthians 9:8) — the grace flowing to us right now, whatever our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
When we see his grace and trust his wise purposes, loving thankfulness rises toward him and pushes out our negative, sinful emotions and grumbling, replacing them with peace. And this gratitude-inspired peace lovingly overflows to everyone else we interact with, often helping them overcome their own temptations to grumble. God is commanding us to love him, love others, and be happy.
Secret Code
Once we put these lenses on, we begin to see that this secret code is contained in all of God’s commands, not just the most repeated ones: faith-filled obedience leads us to joy. God only commands his people what will bring them ultimate happiness. That’s why, for those who discover the secret, “his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). David discovered this secret and broke out in a love song to God’s commands:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7–11)
The commands of our Lord are more to be desired than gold because they make us happier than gold. In keeping them there is a far greater reward than gold: loving, enjoying, admiring, praising, thanking, and rejoicing in God forever (Psalm 16:11).
That is why God has filled the Bible with repeated commands to praise him, to not fear, to rejoice always, and to give thanks always, and every other command that pertains to us. He wants us to be happy. “The God of hope [wants to] fill [us] with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit [we] may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). Today. Now. And forever.
Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as author, board chair, and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books, Not by Sight, Things Not Seen, and Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife live in the Twin Cities with their five children.
post by Desiringgod.com
The Race
So Paul was discussing about running a race, and he encouraged us about doing the needful to actually run to win. The Christian faith is actually in form of a relay race we all get to start the moment we commit our lives to God and end after departing from this planet earth.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. Hebrews 12: 1
Every athlete ensures he does his usual exercise to keep fit in preparation for a tournament or competition. They do this to ensure they are among those that would eventually win a prize. So he spends months training, denying his body of any excesses that might prevent him from his set goal. He spends time in preparation for a one day event. This was what Paul was trying to talk about.
The race we run, we run for a crown that perish not. In this race, it’s our duty to ensure we let go of everything that might hinder us from receiving that crown, that prize. The prize for eternal life. If we must join the host of witnesses awaiting us then we must be ready to pay the prize of discipline, the prize of studying and building our most holy faith. It’s your responsibility to ensure you run to win. Are you still putting your body under? Run that you might win. Run the race that has been set before you.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire | I Train| I Coach
Recreate
It’s being awesome sharing my thought with you these past few months. Today would be sharing with you on your identity. At a point God called a meeting in heaven because he wanted to embark on a new project different from what he was doing. It was a project of creating something different from what has been in existence. It was the job to create man, a being in his own image and likeness.
This was a different project ever. Genesis 1: 26 “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
And God blessed them and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Gen 1: 26-28
So God created us in his image and likeness. Why on earth do you think you are less important, less intelligent? Why do you give in to defeat, poverty, lack and sickness? What has happened to the image of God you carry. You are nothing less in God’s eyes. You were born to dominate, recreate, and subdue the earth. Take charge and stop living a little lower than who you are.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire| I Train| I Coach
Identity
“I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit , which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go”. Isaiah 48:17
Joseph is someone I love so much. He knew who he was and He was not ashamed to portray this where ever he found himself. His understanding on his identity, helped him in relating with his brothers and while he was at Potiphar’s house, he behaved himself on the platform of his identity. You are unique and not like any other person. So learn to live with that identity mindset.
David was another man who was ready to show forth his identity. A lot of things around him beckoned on him to change his identity. At a point, King Saul wanted him to put on another image of which he wasn’t to fight Goliath but he understood who he was and he kept to his identity.
You can never become better by ignoring your identity. “The earlier you discover who you are, the more meaningful life will be” Israel Oriaku.
“But you are a Chosen generation a royal Priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”. 1 Peter 2:9. You are peculiar. Don’t live otherwise. Join me here on Saturday as I share more on identity. Would love to hear from you. Drop a message if this digest has been a blessing to you in any way. God bless.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire | I Train| I Coach
No More Excuses
I sometimes get disappointed when I hear people give excuses for their failures and lapses. Friend it’s high time you get to know that excuses would not only stop you from achieving your goals but also hinder you from those big dreams you have at heart. A big brother of mine, would always say that Excuses would only squeeze you up in life. So please be wise about your decisions and your intentions. If everyone had to give excuses, nothing would ever be achieved.
Some of the spies that went to spy Canaan land, before the land was captured gave a bad report about the land. They gave excuses that they were not strong enough to claim the land and get what God has destined for them. This same people missed out from what God had planned because they didn’t believe the land of Canaan was theirs. The excuses they gave denied them of a better life in the land of Canaan.
Excuse is the currency of a lazy man and you can only buy poverty and unproductiveness with it. Learn to see possibilities beyond the excuses you might have and forge ahead. Nothing is too big to achieve or too small to maximize. Be proactive about your decisions. If you fail to do anything about your dreams, you will wake up continuously to meet unfulfillment. So it’s time to get up and forge ahead. Do what is necessary and stop giving excuses why you can’t do it or get it.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire | I Train| I Coach
Do it differently
It’s a saying that only a fool would keep trying the same thing over and over again without getting any result. You don’t have to stick to one single method to achieve a particular goal or dream. Because your friend or colleague tried it and it worked out for him or her doesn’t mean it will go the same way for you.
Wake up from your dream world into reality. There are different paths to that destination you have in mind. All you need, is the right information. Get hungry for the right information and pay the necessary price for it. Sometimes all we need to arrive at that goal is hunger. If you are really hungry for something, you would go all the way to achieve it.
David used a different method to kill Goliath and he still won the battle, a new method was used to conquer the land of Jericho and victory was the outcome. God decided to use another method to redeem mankind when the first Adam failed by sending Jesus and it was a great success. It’s high time to think differently, act diff
erently and try another method.
So if you have in the past Seven(7) months and few weeks tried achieving something with the same method and you are not getting any result, it’s time to try another method. It’s time to achieve those goals in your heart. Make these 4 months and two weeks count.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire | I Train| I Caoach
Leadership Lifestyle
Myles Munroe quoted in his book “every human has the instinct and capacity for leadership, but most do not have the courage or will to cultivate it” and so they either remain as followers or leaders without a good lifestyle.
The reason why we all complain about the government in Nigeria is because of the lifestyle of most of our so called “leaders”. If they can get it right then every citizen would smile again. The reason why you complain about your boss’s judgement or the organization you work with, is because of poor leadership. Everything rise and falls on this same platform called leadership.
So I will be dwelling on this topic for a very long time, because it’s so important that we understand the importance of leadership and how we all can act towards it. True leaders are distinguished by a unique mental attitude. How do you relate with people around you?
Jesus showed us what it takes to lead a certain group of people as he related with His disciples on daily basis, and the crowd that followed him from one city to another. At a point scriptures tell us that He saw the crowd and realised that they must have been hungry and would be wrong to ask them to go without a meal. So he looked out for meeting their physical need immediately. You would notice that Jesus didn’t just ask his disciples to solve the puzzle of providing food for the crowd as some leaders will do. He ensured that He played his role to providing the food for his disciples and the crowd that was with him.
As leaders we must understand that leadership is not about your title but your ability to take responsibility of those that has been committed in your hands. It’s your duty to care, nurture and provide for their needs. Not only spiritual needs as some of us do but also physical, financial and others as the case may be. Make up your mind to lead right. Leadership is all about attitude.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire| I Train| I Coach
Start small, think Big
Tell me someone who you feel is doing great in business now and I will ask you to check his profile. He wasn’t where he is now, 10 or 30 years ago. So why on earth don’t you want to start with what you have? Why do you think you can’t make it, when you have not taken the first step?
Be courageous, start small and think big. Plan towards your desired dreams and put in the little efforts you can put in. Start something about the idea you have been nursing for years. Think out of the box too. It’s time to get to work.
I see a lot of people complaining of what they have when they can maximize what they have to solve a problem and create a business from it. Every good thing in life started from somewhere. Come to think of it, every mansion you see around you was built by the laying of small blocks in a foundation.
Even God believes, in maximizing the small things He has blessed you with. He told Moses to use his rod (small thing), He used the small boy (David), He inspired David to use 5 stones (small thing), Jesus first teaching was with the priest and high priest(started with a small crowd). Jesus started ministry with only twelve disciples (small people). So what is your excuse friend?
Start small but think and plan big. You don’t have to wait anymore. Start with what you have.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire| I Train| I Coach
A grateful heart
Jesus had just finished healing some folks and he asked them to show forth themselves to the Priest. They were referred to as 10 lepers but I call them, 1 wise and 9 foolish fellow. Only one of these lepers came back to thank Jesus for their cleansing and he got an extra touch from God for this. He was made whole while the other nine thought it unnecessary to come back to thank God for the cleansing they received. Hence they was only cleansed from leprosy.
We most times get it wrong when we refuse to appreciate people for their help, support and assistance in one way or the other. Even Jesus was amazed that out of the ten(10) only one was grateful. Indicating that he appreciates it when we give honour and praises to whosoever deserves it.
Life is too short. Appreciate God for the life he gives to you on daily basis. If there is one thing we all must cultivate; then it’s a grateful heart. Be thankful to God and all he has done for you. Be thankful to people for whatsoever they have helped you with. Such attitude speaks a lot. No one would have known that the lepers also needed to be made whole until one person came back to show some appreciation. You can never tell what you have missed by refusing to say these simple words “Thank you”. So the next time you are opportune, don’t take it for granted.
You might be missing a lot by ignoring to appreciate God or people that have been a source of blessing to you. If you can read this article, it’s enough reason to give thanks to God for good sight. Have a grateful heart towards life.
I’m Israel Oriaku
I Inspire| I Train| I Coach
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