Does God Care About What I Wear?

Four Biblical Principles Regarding the Clothes You Wear

Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). The whatsoever you do in that passage pretty much covers everything, including our clothing choices. Now please understand, I am writing this article for those who are really interested in knowing what God thinks about clothing choices. I am not going to give you specific standards, but rather biblical principles. These principles apply to men and women alike. You will have to consider how to prayerfully apply them.

Nakedness is a curse

There are many verses in scripture that describe nakedness either as associated with immoral behavior or as part of judgment on individuals and nations (Gen 3:7-11, 9:22-23, Ex 20:26, Isaiah 47:3, 57:8, Ezekiel 16:8, 23:18, Lamentations 1:8, Hosea 2:9-10, Amos 2:16, Nahum 3:5, Habakkuk 2:15, Rev 3:17, and many more).

Nakedness is not exactly what you think. In the scriptural context, nakedness could mean stripped of all clothing, but it could also mean being exposed in just under garments or not adequately clothed for the context. A soldier without his armor was naked. A person in a social setting without his outer tunic was naked. When Peter was said to be fishing naked, he was not fishing stark naked. That would not have made sense. He likely had removed his outer garment so he could move about freely on the boat (John 21:7). Paul said he had been naked often. Again he was probably talking about being stripped to the waist for the purpose of flogging (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Nakedness was considered a curse, but there were exceptions where nakedness or being partially clothed was considered an appropriate choice.  A soldier in battle would “gird up his loins”, pulling the back hem of his garment between his legs and tucking it in his belt.  This exposed a portion of his thigh but also allowed freedom of movement in battle.  So did a fisherman in the boat or a farmer in the field. And there is the blessing of complete nakedness in the intimacy of the marriage relationship (Gen 2:25).

The idea here is that people with biblical sensibilities should feel a sense of shame when they are not properly covered. What is proper covering though? The Bible does not give us much information about how much needs to be covered. Exodus 28:42 does seem to indicate that exposing the thigh for a priest was uncovering his nakedness. Not much is said, most likely, because most people understood what proper covering looked like.

But Adam and Eve were naked! That is true. Before the fall they were. Nakedness without sin is innocence. Nakedness with a sense of sin is healthy shame. Purposeful shameless nakedness is defiance before God. Christian, covering up appropriately matters to God.

Love is required

Christian ethics requires that we show love for others (Matthew 22:37-39). Like it or not, the way we dress demonstrates a concern for others (or a lack of concern). This would apply to grooming as well. I was on an airplane recently where someone sitting near me clearly did not believe in the use of deodorant. Our whole section of the plane was aware of it. Washing and covering bodily odors shows concern for others. It also shows love for others when we dress appropriately. It is not loving to show up to a friend’s wedding in the clothes you used to do the yard work earlier that day.

One of the important ways in which we demonstrate our love for others is modesty. This is not just about how much skin is exposed, but the type of attention and desire we seek to arouse in others by our dress. Jesus said that committing adultery in your heart is sin (Matthew 5:28). There are several passages that clearly indicate that actions that are intended to, or likely have the potential to make a brother or sister fall should be avoided (Matthew 18:6, 1 Corinthians 8).

Well, that is their problem! Men just have dirty minds!

I take exception to that excuse. Sexual desire is the gift of God. Believe it or not, God made men so that they would be sexually intrigued by the sight of the female form. It is part of the plan of procreation that God set up. It is the man’s responsibility to keep his eyes and mind focused upon his wife. Jesus is clear on this. Desiring someone who is not your spouse is sin. This is an Old Testament principle as well (coveting your neighbors wife). Likewise, seeking the desires of someone who is not your spouse is also sin. This would apply to behavior as well as dress. Men should not flirt with women who are not their wives. Women should not seek the attention of men who are not their husbands. This is crazy talk in the world today, but it is a biblical principle. But how I do know if my behavior or dress is bringing that type of attention? Be honest with yourself. You usually know. If not, ask your husband, wife, mother, or father if what you are doing or wearing is inappropriate. And if they ask, be honest and tell them! Pay attention to what you are doing. The people around you and the leading of the Holy Spirit will help you to make the right decisions.

Uniforms are universal

What we wear communicates something to those around us. The woman in Proverbs 7:10 wore the attire of a harlot. Her clothes identified her intentions. Clothing communicates your status, job, economic class, and even attitude. Every time I walk out the door in the morning, the clothes I wear communicate something about me. That communication is received in different ways in different times and places. I wear a suit on Sunday morning. That is a perfectly acceptable in our local context. If I were to preach in a suit in Manila wearing and American suit, it would look silly. A barong would be a much better choice. Understanding what my clothing communicates requires an understanding of myself and my context.

My “uniform” can also communicate rebellion, carelessness, or even identification with a sinful culture. Wearing facial hair is an example. Most conservative Christian men in the 1960’s and 70’s did not wear facial hair. The reason is that it associated them with the hippie, free love, and drug culture of the age. That association no longer remains, today.

Gender matters

We live in a confused world, but the confusion we face is nothing new. Deuteronomy 22:5 clearly condemns transvestite dress and behavior. If a condemnation was necessary, the problem existed even then. There is an important principle here. God made you the way you are. In fact, Genesis 1 clearly says “male and female created He them.” He made you according to His divine wisdom and for His divine purpose. Some of the confusion we see today is rebellion against the idea of a creator. Some of it is confusion foisted upon individuals by others. All of it flies in the face of the Creator. God created male and female and He wants His people to embrace His will in their creation. Men should look and act like men—not the vulgar caricature of men espoused by this world, but true kind, genuine, masculinity. Women should look and act like women, embracing the nobility of biblical femininity. We should teach our children to love the way God made them, and part of that education is teaching girls to dress like girls, and boys to dress like boys. Parents must lead by example and direction.

Does God care about what you wear? Absolutely He does. Do you care what He thinks?