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Christianity and Lifestyle Preferences, Part One: Aesthetic and Fashion Choices

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The group of people following Jesus is separated into many demographics throughout the world- what "type of Christian" you are, what theologies you accept and do not accept, and even down to lifestyle choices.


This is a start of a series of answered questions I’ve seen people ask multiple times on social media, leaving people confused, angry, and frustrated.


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Part One: Aesthetic and Fashion styles


First, different aesthetics in Christianity have caused judgement amongst different types of followers of God. A lot of people in the church have usually settled to a code to seem fancy enough when going on Sunday morning, but not just for God, but for others.


So do we all have to follow the same dress code? Is it ok for a follower of God to like rock music and black clothing? Is it ok for women to wear pants? Is it ok for Christians to dress more casually in church, or are suits and dresses the only option? Is it ok for Christians to like rap music and dress street style?


While it may seem like an easy matter to some, others face judgement for this situation.


Growing up I've had many style preferences. I've liked multiple different types of things that wouldn't be considered as something that fit in with the christian community. A lot of people judge you for what you like and wear, even if it's not demonic or sinful. I was afraid of this, so I would hide the interests that the church didn't seem to love as a kid.


It took me too long to learn that as long as you are following the Holy Spirit's wisdom and instruction, you don't have to box yourself into a certain style code.


Different aesthetics can be ok, because I know that God doesn't judge only surface level matters in the body of Christ. He values our heart in it. He is a God of modesty, and He is a God of authenticity. He made us all different, yet in His image. It's ok that we don't all appear the same; we are still accepted in the body of Christ.


I recently watched a Christian woman's video on her Instagram about aesthetic- she was gothic and a metalhead, and her love for the Lord and the Bible encouraged and inspired me. She spoke about the judgement that people had given her, telling her that she should be ashamed, when she spoke about clothing not being the most important part of a person.


I've seen people in tee shirts and jeans jumping and singing loudly for the Lord, praising him vibrantly the whole service, and I've seen people in fancy dresses and suits with straight faces looking like they didn't want to be in church texting the whole service. This alone proves that your outfit doesn't proclaim your closeness to Jesus or that clothing is the only representation of Jesus in your life. I've also seen people dressed in fancier outfits and completely on fire for the Lord, and I loved to see it! I've seen people in casual clothes looking bored in church, so our clothing isn't our admission ticket into the church.


While people will judge others no matter what, aesthetic doesn't determine a person's salvation alone. I personally love rock and rap music, video games, and some anime shows- and I don't see too many other Christians liking the same thing around me, especially some of the girls, all while I'm perfectly fine with what styles they love.


Sometimes there is this image in the church that girls try to keep up in order to look good enough- wearing pastels only, mostly dresses, and only listening to christian or pop music is a different aesthetic I see around me. That's more than okay if that's your style- I will never judge a person's style- but I see a lot of people boxing themselves in to people pleasing, envy, and pressure when it comes to style and interests in the church instead of being authentic if they have another aesthetic or style.


I know that the devil has gotten into the minds of the church and caused anxiety and people pleasing in this area of our lives, or at least a lot of us (the people with anxiety will definitely relate). People are realizing in this day and age that it's wrong to judge a person walking into church wearing something they wouldn't prefer them wearing. If a person is new to a church and they aren't wearing what you want them to wear, accept and invite them into the church anyway!


Don't meet anyone with judgement about their fashion style the moment they decide to try out being in a relationship with Jesus. I've seen it turn people away before.


If you have interests different than the people around you, and you love Jesus, know that Jesus loves you the same as he loves everyone else.


' “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?' (Matthew 6:25)


Clothing garments


There has been a speculation about whether women could wear pants for decades, and the Bible has a few things to say about garments, the most popular one being in Deuteronomy 22:5:


'“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. '


A lot of legalistic people in the body of Christ have taken this farther than it should go with others, as a lot of specific, Old Testament instructions were atoned for by Jesus on the cross.


If this were so, men wouldn't be able to cut and shave their beards. I don't really see judgement on men for this in the church anyways.


Jesus never condemned women wearing pants in the Bible. While the Bible speaks of women and men not dressing to appear like another gender, that doesn't include pants. Jesus wouldn't condemn a simple color on your shirt. It's about the heart matter. It's about what the Holy Spirit is specifically telling you and why you're doing things.


The line is drawn in sexuality: if you are a woman or a man dressing to your own gender, but have a different style in that situation than others like, then you are not sinning.


A person who actively pursues dressing like another gender than their biological gender is where the Holy Spirit gives instruction to stop.


A man who decides to cut his beard and not dress like the guys around him yet stay true to his gender is not committing a sin, and shouldn't be judged or made fun of.


A woman who wants shoulder length hair and doesn't like dresses, dresses more casually and stays true to her gender isn't committing a sin either and shouldn't be judged or made fun of.


Modesty


Where I draw the line in fashion is modesty. I'm a huge believer in equality in modesty, as men have sadly been way less pressured than women in this area. A lot of Christians will judge based on certain things with modesty, and others won't.


My best question for you would be: how is your heart posture towards your outfit? Are you trying to show off your body for sexual reasons, or did you feel peace with the Lord with what you're wearing? A lot of us get judged for an outfit that is one inch of a difference than what the other person would've preferred, and everyone's opinion will be different on this.


Modesty goes further than skin shown, and while at certain events, showing respect for the level of the event like a wedding or funeral means that dressing approprietly is advised, but we shouldn't have to feel like everywhere we go is stressful. God made our bodies to be protected, not felt like mistakes or gross. The key is to protect your body all while staying true to who you are, not feeling like your body is disgusting to the human eye.


For example, I personally don't believe that showing shoulders is a bad thing. We should be modest in covering private areas for sure and never seek to intentionally show ourselves off for sexual reasons, but if an inch of someone's stomach is shown in the summer, or if someone's knees are shown, it doesn't speak absolute immodesty to me (especially when only the women are told they can't show their knees). Stay tuned for a future post on the blog where I go more heavily into Christianity and purity culture.


We want to see people full of the Holy Spirit in church, smiling and glowing of his love and power in their life, not to just see everyone wearing only suits and dresses in easter colors every time you see them, forcing a single file line dress code on people like we are in middle school.


Final thoughts


If you prefer to wear a dress to church every week, that's absolutely fine. Just make sure you are there for Jesus.


If you wear a tee shirt and jeans to church every week, that's ok. Just make sure you are there for Jesus.


If you love medieval or middle age Christian aesthetics and styles, more power to you!


If your fashion choices are modest, but different than societal standards, and the cool kids don't like your outfits, continue following Jesus and being true to yourself! I've been there and I feel you!


If you've been judged by someone at church who believes that by wearing casual clothes to church or a rock band tee shirt to a family dinner that you are mocking Christianity, I hope this post gives you peace because Jesus desires for you to be in church, in the body of Christ, and in community with Him. We will always have those people that will judge us for no reason while we're on earth.


The point is to look to what the Holy Spirit is whispering to you about each outfit, not what society deems as "Jesus people" or not, not what their style is, not what their surface level judgement throws at you (again, this doesn't apply to immodest wear).


I'd love to hear your comments on this if you have any other questions about fashion choices or aesthetics.


' “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ' (Matthew 7:1-5)


Future series of questions answered

  • Theologies

  • LGBTQ+

  • Purity Culture

  • Abortion

  • Denominations

  • Cultural preferences



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