In Crude Times Believers can Remain full of Grace

We are living in crude times, the lack of regard for others leads people to become slovenly in all things.

Our clothing often is a reflection of a lack of respect for others or diligence in respecting them.

Think about it! I wear a hairstyle now that would have been considered messy, but is in style now. I like it because it is easy since I don't have any time to stand in front of a mirror and work on my hair. Not to mention illness makes us old people care less about perfect hair than when we were younger.

Take a look at the jeans people are wearing with rips and tears all up and down the legs and these are the brand new ones people pay big bucks for in the stores. Makes no sense!!!

Perhaps the prosperity of our nation made us tired of looking so tidy, we thought looking like a train wreck was more interesting and much easier but laughably it is not less expensive.

I recall the scriptures that say, "when good would be called bad and bad would be called good", whenever I look around me and see the attitudes, the clothing, and the lack of diligence in all things.

Isaiah 5:20-21 "20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."

Since clothing and hair pale in comparison to an eternity in hell, I don't care what clothing people are wearing but I do believe sometimes it is a reflection of a heart that wants to fit in with the world. The important thing to focus on as believers is not the clothing but where people will spend eternity.

Just because eternity is the most important does not mean that clothing is not important at all for the born-again believer. When we look like the world, the world does not take us seriously, but when we are different in all things it may cause the world to take notice and want to know what makes us follow our own way instead of theirs.

It is not true that we have to look and act like the world for the world to like Jesus. We do not want to manipulate people into liking Jesus, we want to speak the truth and allow them to make a choice based on Christ not how we look. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things, even our clothing so that we are not a distraction to the message of the gospel.

Don't ask anyone else how you should dress, ask the Holy Spirit and then do what He says. Then our witness will be what it should be.

Romans 8:26

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

Galatians 5:22-23

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

1 Corinthians 6:19

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,"