What a person wears can sometimes tell us a fair bit about them. Someone in a uniform can be identified as a police officer, utility worker, fire fighter, or soldier. Someone in an expensive power suit is likely a business person. Sometimes clothing can tell us something about a person’s beliefs; A nun’s habit or priest’s collar, robes and shaved head of a Buddhist monk, the crisp white shirt and black tie & trousers commonly worm by Mormons working a neighborhood all tip us off to what they hold to be true about religion.
What about Christians? Do Christians have a dress code?
To answer that, let’s look at Colossians 3:12-14.
Colossians 3:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
While this does not give us fashion tips, it does tell us that God expects us to wrap ourselves in certain attitudes that will show the world that we are children of God and siblings of Christ. Let’s look at those first 5 attributes:
Compassion
My dictionary defines compassion as, “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” My favorite example of compassion is what happened during the late Roman period when there were a number of devastating plagues: the Antonine Plague (165-180 AD), the Plague of Cyprian (251-270 AD), and the Plague of Justinian (541–542 AD). These periods coincide with some of the most prolific growth of Christianity.
In AD 250, Emperor Decius decreed the Plague of Cyprian was brought on by the Christians and began persecuting them heavily. Despite this persecution, it was the Christians who stayed in the cities to nurse their plague stricken neighbors while the pagans ran away to escape infection.
Historian Rodney Stark[1] believes that the care offered by Christians may have cut the mortality rate by two-thirds, earned the Christians a grudging respect from the Roman pagans, and led to a large number of conversions to this merciful creed.
When Emperor Julian came into power he noted the effect that Christian compassion had in a letter to a pagan priest, “it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism” (atheism refers to the falling away from Roman polytheism).
Kindness
Kindness is an act that shows consideration and caring. We express kindness across a full spectrum of behavior from performing unexpected acts for others to simply holding our tongue when someone insults us. The biggest issue in kindness is a setting aside of our pride and self-centeredness.
Humility
The world in general takes a dim view of humility, believing that it means making yourself into a doormat or others. Again, this trait hinges on our ability to set aside pride – the need to exert our own will – and accept or at least consider the position and opinions of others. It does not mean we must always subjugate ourselves, it means we consider our response and act and speak out of love, not anger.
While Jesus was being interrogated by Pontius Pilot, He made a statement that angered a guard, who slapped Jesus. The response of Jesus gave birth to the saying, “turn the other cheek”. Jesus did not present his other cheek and invite more abuse, but responded by asking, calmly, why the guard struck Him when he only spoke the truth.
Gentleness
Gentleness is a lack of rough talk or behavior. Gentleness is the way we would stroke a baby’s cheek. When we treat one another with gentleness we are mindful that words and actions can be hurtful, and we strive to avoid hurting.
Patience
This is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset; to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. It is the bearing of misfortune or pain without complaint, loss of temper, or irritation. It means not reacting hastily to a situation or statement. Patience does not mean we are to sit idly, waiting for someone else to handle a situation. Nor does it mean we are to be indifferent to the needs of others, or to our own needs. It means we are to consider a situation carefully before reacting.
The Christian Difference
When taking a secular course on how to become a great entrepreneur or leader, these traits are rarely taught or accepted. The world values decisiveness and bold actions. Fast decisions, ruthlessness and high pressure lifestyles signify secular leadership.
When we follow God’s decrees and mold ourselves to the example of Jesus; when we clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience we set ourselves apart – stand out from the world. Some will ridicule and malign us for our non-conformity. Others will take note; much as the Roman citizens of the first few centuries did, that this is a better way to treat one another.
For non-Christians adopting some of these principles may make their lives more enjoyable. For Christians, it is our dress-code.
David Jeremiah summed up this thought nicely in a recent daily inspiration. “Christians aren’t the only people who show sacrificial love to others, but they are the only ones for whom love is supposed to be their defining characteristic. Jesus made that clear to His disciples: The way the world is supposed to identify us as His followers is by the love we have for one another. And the apostle John took it a step further: if we say we are followers of Jesus but don’t have love, we are liars.”
At the very least, being dressed as this passage in Colossians states should make people wonder, “Why does that person love so generously?” Then we can tell them: “Because Jesus first loved me.” (1 John 4:19).
“Faith without love is no living grace, and love without faith is no saving grace.”
~ William Burkitt
