 |
"Bare" Season is
Here Again
No, not the furry
creature. That's spelled b-e-a-r. "Bare" season rolls around every
summer, when the weather gets real hot. It's called "bare" season,
because men and women, in an effort to keep cool, will "bare" more of
their skin. Bathing suits, short shorts, and low-cut tops become the
order of the day. Little, if any thought is given to what God says on
the matter.
According to God, licentiousness (or lasciviousness) is a work of
the flesh, a sin (Galatians 5:19-21). What does this have to with
how we dress? Consider the following definition of lascivious: "Tending
to excite lustful desires." So anything that might excite lustful
desires could be called "lascivious." We know that certain types
of clothing can excite lustful desires, or else all those TV ads
wouldn't be so successful. Proverbs 7:21 speaks of "enticing
speech." Just as surely as there is enticing speech, there is
enticing clothing. In other words, clothes, or the lack thereof can
seduce people.
What kind of clothing could be labeled lascivious, or enticing?
What about short shorts and short skirts? Can they excite lustful
desires? We know the answer to that, don't we? What about bathing suits?
Or tight-fitting clothes? Or outfits which can be easily seen through?
Tops which expose cleavage? What about men who go without a shirt?
The opposite of lascivious is chaste (see Titus 2:5 where
this word is used). Consider these definitions of chaste: "Pure, decent,
or modest in nature, behavior, dress, etc. Behavior, dress, speech,
etc., that exhibits morality or purity." So our dress should not be
lascivious or enticing. It should be chaste. We should put more emphasis
on concealing than revealing.
"Bare" season is here. Let's make sure we don't bare too much.
--From New Georgia Church of Christ Bulletin
|
|
