Just as You Are...

Okay, my whole adult-like life (12-now) I have struggled with authority, and, until recently, I have fought back only to be combative. I now, however, have had a realization that I feel is extremely important.

I envision myself as head of a church, and I'm wearing Jeans, a T-Shirt, and tennis shoes. How many people would say, "Wow...That would seriously bother me"? Here's the question: Should it?

I'm sure many of you have heard the song "Just as You Are", but how many of us understand this? It doesn't say, "Take 2 hours, put on a face that's not really you, and make a show for everyone around you!" (Singing tones included) It says, "Come! Just as you are to worship! Why don't you come, just as you are before your God. Come." Now, by no means am I saying that it's wrong to put on a suit, get a little dolled up for God, and go serve and worship His name, but is your heart right? Are we being real, true, and honest with who we are to God? Because that's what it's all about. He doesn't receive honor from our appearance, it doesn't show Him anymore love from our hearts IF our hearts aren't right to begin with. In fact, dressing up and making ourselves all fancy might actually deter people from coming to our church because they may feel as though they aren't worthy to be in our presence, when really, we are all dressed in rags before God anyway.

Here's the worst part about all of this...I know, because I've had it happen to me, that people judge inside of the church based on clothing. Do we not realize that this damages the body of Christ, ourselves, and more importantly those who are not yet secure in their beliefs? It would be better, according to Paul, to dress in rags (because that's what the rich are dressed in, in reality, anyway) to make everyone who could walk in God's door, HIS house, which is a place of prayer and worship, to feel welcome not only in spirit but in body. So the next time you put on your clothes before you go to church, thank God for the rags you put on and ask Him to use them for His glory because that's why we have them in the first place. Everything is God's.

We need to remember that everything we do is for God's glory and if it's not working for it...It's working against it.