Some women have left their cleavages, church somewhat exposed

In a search for decorum, fidelity, modesty and precision; one place is a sure pick – the CHURCH. We do not just assume but certainly know that because Christ is the head, because it is guided by strict rules, because it upholds high morality and because it seeks to metamorphose a rotten world; it must be a place of decency. This isn’t rocket science!

Let’s further say it is a place of holy worship, a refuge to the lost, an extension of God’s kingdom on earth, a fellowship of His people, a group of partakers in the reign of Christ, an institution of divine kings and priests, and of course; a gathering of saints. The list of descriptions is endless.

The list is endless, because it keeps growing with developments, and the last time we the critics checked, the church has become a hub of extremely extreme fashion extremists. So this article will with the same severity deal extremely with those women who are treating the integrity of the church with contempt.

Women now dress into the house of God, leaving their cleavages and the temple somewhat exposed. Finding women cladding in skimpy, skin-fitting, skinny outfits has become as common as pillows on beds.

If something is provocative, it stirs up a reaction and arouses an excitement. It turns heads. But again, the last time we checked, these are the last effects we would want to create in the house of God. I am disappointed anytime I spot a woman appearing to be throwing all her eggs into the ‘look how sexy I am’ basket.

Women like to be noticed and appreciated. They like to be visually appealing. Sex sells, so the sexuality of women is highly valued. That is why we can find even a gospel singer dressed like Myzbel.

You will find Christian women pulling the end of their blouse, adjusting their short clothes every now and then. They exhibit the curves and intimate details of their bodies delineated by tight clothing. Strapless tops, shorts, minis are not uncommon. And when they bend...

You know what is not absurd? The Parliament of Ghana purchasing expensive Chinese seats and later finding them uncomfortable...trust me, that isn’t absurd.

You know what is absurd? Wearing a fifty-cedi dress and covering your laps with a fifty-pesewa handkerchief when you sit...trust me, that is absurd!

Christian women of today have failed to acknowledge that the purpose of dressing is to edify and to help others grow spiritually; and of course to envelop their nakedness. Tragically, the problem of immodesty in both dress and appearance has become as rampant in most churches as it is in the secular culture. We are slowly losing touch of the reticence of the church.

Why is it that many Christians do not seem to realise that wearing clothing designed to flaunt the body is self-centred, fleshy behaviour and that it is in opposition to godliness?

We live in a sex-crazed society. ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it!’ Self objectification is the order of the day, no matter the place. So the average church goer dresses to impress, the usher dresses to kill and what the pastor’s wife is wearing is not any better. Our Muslim colleagues must have a very bad sense of fashion. So they wear dresses that seem to be kissing the ground. But for us, not at all!

That is how far we have come. Good progress! Heaven must really be impressed. Congratulations to all the children of God. What is unclear is what has happened to the below-the-knee guide to choosing outfits? What happened to Courtesy for Boys and Girls? What happened to the use of conscience?

What is clear is that the church has loosened its attitude about dressing in an attempt to remove such barriers and retain more members. And society is as well becoming less sensitive in this regard - possibly by virtue of tolerance and the twist of fashion to meet what we call ‘trends’. Here’s where our thinking is faulty again.

We have thrown off all the last vestiges of propriety, modesty, tastefulness and decorum.

Men are designed to be sexually-influenced. To deny this is to be naive. However, they have the responsibility of shielding their eyes, but on the other side of the spectrum it is by the same command that the woman has the fairly-equal responsibility of closing things up!

But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So guys, we have sinned. Those perpetrators have caused us to fall short of the God’s glory. Nevertheless, brothers let’s keep our eyes averted, lest we get visually assaulted in church.

But Sister, “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come but woe to the one through whom they come” (Mathew 18:7)

What's more? Because of your insensitivity, the church now has to procure extra clothes so that if you fall during an anointing service, your half-covered body will not be exposed too. And that is extra cost, if you care to know.

Flaunting your body by showing off those cleavages, back, thighs and waist erodes your purity, devaluing that to which your husband has sole proprietorship, plus hinders your spiritual growth. Do you not know Moddest is hottest?

Image (Adam and Eve) Guess why the first man and woman did not need any cover-up of their bodies. Because they were not ashamed, there was no lust, no immorality, no lewdness. But unfortunately, shame exists now - and you really should be having a lot of it anytime you leave your cleavage exposed.

Maybe it is time to impose dress codes and to draw up regulations for what people wear into the church! It is time to appoint and recruit code-enforcement agents. We could leave that task to some lay women of good repute but forceful demeanour. It is time to announce the coming change. Maybe it is time to send some charlatans away, in extreme cases.

Anyone for the motion? Shall we see by raise of hands? Very few seconders!

I see a lot of people fuming, filing counter-motions, freaking out in protest, grumbling that the church is a house of freedom; that the door to the church should remain open, Jesus will never send people away; purity is in the heart; God’s creation is beautiful, that it is their choice etc.

But folks, our outward behaviour is the result of the thoughts, desires and motives of our hearts. The Bible in the book of Matthew says, ‘the purity of the heart will show itself in the modesty of the dress.’

The ‘Your body is a temple of God’ statement seems to have lost its meaning. A bleached body swathed in clothes with gaps, face and nails painted like that of Jezebel, thighs exposed in a mini skirt with breasts elevated and exhibited will surely be an uncomfortable place for a Man of divinity!

We are the light of the world, in an already morally-decayed state. We should eagerly yearn for the church becoming much more of an inspiration, and not distractions from women.

Author: Patrick Fynn (patrickfynn.blogspot.com)