Looking good from the inside out

September 20th, 2017

Goodbye to sleeping in, warm summer nights and trips to the beach! Hello to school bells, homework, teachers and school dress codes! School is back in full swing, which means students may have to think more about what they wear in order to adhere to school dress code. In San Benito High School, some female students were cited for violating the dress code when they wore off–the-shoulder tops. Following the incident, a few male students decided to protest what they believe to be a sexist dress code by wearing off-the-shoulder tops too. Photos were taken and quickly spread online, instigating debates about school dress codes across the country.

The controversy

Controversy over school dress codes is not new. Some students feel a dress code quashes their freedom of expression. The most heated tensions are centered on dress codes targeting females by body shaming them and inflaming sexism. Also, girls are told that certain clothes will be a distraction to the boys, while others argue we need to be teaching the boys to act appropriately instead of telling girls to cover up. A handful of advocates for the dress code believe dressing appropriately is a learning opportunity and encourages young people to aim for professionalism.

Does God Give us a dress code?

There are only a few places in the Bible that mention how to dress, and they mostly relate to specific occasions in the culture of that time. However, throughout the Bible we are reminded to focus more attention on our hearts and less on our appearance. So does it matter what we wear? Well . . . yes, because we are image-bearers of God and are called to serve and love others. When we spend too much time, money and energy on our looks, then we have lost focus on our mission to serve others. If we are constantly dressing in a way that draws attention to ourselves, we are creating a self-idol—searching for our worth in appearances instead of God. God may not have a specific dress code for us to follow, but God wants us to be modest with our hearts. This modesty leads to beauty from the inside out.

Question of the day: What are you trying to accomplish by the clothes you wear?
Focal scriptures: 1 Timothy 2:8-10; Matthew 6:25-34; Colossians 3:8-17; Ephesians 4:2-3


For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.

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