Some consider the kiwi to be the ugliest fruit. It's outside is rough and tough and tasteless. But the inside of a kiwi is bright and colorful and deliciously sweet. Just like the kiwi, what we see on the outside is seldom an accurate indicator of what's on the inside.I understand dressing appropriately for certain situations. Some schools require dress codes. Certain office jobs require business casual. I understand these things. But isn't the church supposed to be different?
As Arron Chambers wrote in his book, Eats With Sinners, "I just refuse to clothe the grace of God in a suit or a dress and require that lost men and women meet a dress code before they can meet Jesus."
Just because someone doesn't like wearing a tie to church doesn't automatically mean he doesn't love God. It might just mean that he hates ties, or he might just like breathing and the free flow of blood to the most important organ in the body!
Chambers wrote about a young man who couldn't wait to go to church so he could praise God with other Christians. He had just completed a six-month tour with the Navy in Iraq and had much to be grateful for - three months into his mission, he'd been rescued from the ocean after being knocked off the ship. So he put on a nice polo-style shirt, a nice pair of shorts (he'd been in uniform for six months and was ready for a break), and a pair of sandals and he headed to a church.
He arrived late because he was from out of town and didn't know where he was going. The service was well underway and packed when he finally made it, so he grabbed the first available seat, on the back row next to a well-dressed older couple.
During a break in the singing, the older woman leaned over to him and whispered, "Next time you come to our church, you need to dress more appropriately." He sat there stunned and no longer joyful.
Tears of sorrow welled up in his eyes. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, he leaned over to the woman and politely whispered, "There won't be a next time." He left the service and went back to his ship discouraged and brokenhearted.
The Word of God says in 1 Samuel 16:6-7, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." In James 2:1-9 we are commanded to not show favoritism because of how people dress or look.
There are so many good things we miss out on when we only focus on the external. Just think, if we only chose fruit based on their appearance, no one would ever enjoy a wonderful kiwi!
