Recently my FB popups have been centered around “churchy” things..in particular worship music and worship fashion. Reading the ones about church clothes always makes me sad, and here’s why:

It. Really. Doesn’t. Matter!

Really. To explain why I say that, it’s simple. In my 58 years I have been part of several churches. Small ones, large ones, huge ones. In the state I live in now (Georgia) and several other states. As a child, teenager, and adult. I grew up in a very traditional church and home. Sundays were for your best attire, best Bible, and best attitude. You may have been having a knock down drag out argument in the car on the way to church, but by golly you were dressed for it! The call to worship was solemn with organ chimes, and the whole service was geared to reverence and awe. And that was fine..except…that was the ONLY day that God was honored in too many lives there. Way too many. But that was church in the ’60s and ’70s.

Through the rest of my years, I have been in churches mostly where any ladies coming to church in pants were welcome (finally!) but shorts? NO. Tattoos? Not happening. Same for flipflops and tennis shoes..God could not be honored with that.

Now..not everyone in every church felt that way. And there’s nothing wrong with being convicted that God deserves our very best..because He does. Just don’t limit it to what you wear and consequently how you act on Sunday! Because THAT does matter! And don’t treat the church as a sacred and holy place where you must present yourself to God in “churchy” clothes..because He sees and knows what you wear and how (or if) you present yourself to Him the rest of the week!

In other words, consider this: if someone comes into church with their maybe dirty and ragged shirt and blue jeans, just accept them. Don’t try to ignore them, or hand them a copy of your church’s dress code, or in any other way disdain them. And if a mother who has been up all night with a sick child comes in a wrinkled shirt and shorts and hair everywhere, even though she has 6 dresses and accessories in her closet, don’t make them feel outcast and like God disapproves! Because He doesn’t! He is more pleased that we seek Him out than in what we wear..always. He is more pleased with our effort to be with His people and hear His Word than anything else.

To further my case, I can honestly say that no one has EVER come up to me at any church and said “Oh, what God-honoring clothes you are wearing today!” No one. And I know that’s an extreme example, but it’s still true. I have been complimented on my clothes, hair, makeup etc, but that is true in any other place I might be. But I have heard from people who have been told “we don’t dress like that in God’s house”. We had a senior adult join our church a few years ago because she was asked by another larger, more traditional church to not come back if all she had was sandals!!

So here’s the bottom line…instead of being concerned with what anyone is wearing, be concerned with their hearts! And your own! The person in the 3 piece suit might have spent Saturday with his mistress..and the guy in cutoff jeans might have won someone to the Lord this week! We cannot know hearts, so we should not judge by dress. As one motorcycle church planter told me years ago..”put me in a room full of bikers and chains and smoke and tattoos, and let me live the rest of my life showing them Jesus!”

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had that attitude? And we can..if we stop focusing on the unimportant, and embrace the true ministry of the church..to welcome each other, and love each other, and lead each other to greater ministry together, as we work to win the lost to Him!