A few years ago while working with a charity group, one of the youth volunteers came on a particular service day dressed in semi-opaque leggings and revealing top. One of the adult mentors was given to understand that this style of dress, this look, was cultural based, part of the old tradition in that particular culture where girls in their late teens 'communicate' through their dress, behaviour, domestic skills that they are marriage ready, and ready to bear children.
The adult mentor acknowledged the generations-old tradition, however, the mentor gently explained that the culture in which the girl was presently living - the sex-charged western culture - saw a whole different meaning to how she presented herself. Instead of a young woman living out a tradition from her cultural community, the young men outside of her insular culture did not see or understand her dress style as a communication of marriage readiness, but rather, see the look as one advertising an interest in a sexual encounter. The adult mentor attempted to inform the young woman that in the broader community in which she now lives, one where nearly everything from language, dress, media and entertainment, proclaim a sex-obsessed mindset that is done away with any moral hedges. This sexually charged culture in which we live is lustful, objectivises women and men as sexual vehicles, and even promote clothing to promote and communicate the desire for and invitation to a sexual encounter - clothes that are skin tight, short and exposing an immodest portion of flesh (chests/breasts, thighs) underclothes, etc. The self-expression teens believe to be their innate right here in this sex charged western culture where one is 'free' to express verbally and through clothing, language, and other communication any and every desire - ignorant of the fact that this self and cultural view are shaped by the power of this world. The adult mentor tried to inform the girl that the attention she was receiving because of her style of dress was not honouring her, but was instead from persons who were seeing an invitation to sex. They are not seeking to marry but are seeking that which is reserved for the marriage bed. That is how corrupt the thinking is, how the power of the 'prince of the air' has shaped the minds of young people and many older adults to respond. The adult mentor attempted to explain that while in her insular culture or community there are adults to monitor how a courtship takes place, to set up guardrails to protect the young woman's honour, the western culture does not generally take that view, so that the young woman may be in a compromised position and unable to handle the type of response her style of dress attracts. Those persons have more experience at manipulating persons and circumtances to achieve the goal of sexual conquest.
That the influence of this sexually charged culture is so pervasive, one can enter into many churches on any given Sunday and see males and females of various ages who are attired in a way that reflects the world's sexual agenda. Sadly, the look that many are going for even in the church, particularly the western influenced church, is that of being sexy or attempting to look 'good' - albeit the world's definition of looking good, cute, attractive.
Sadly, too, the young woman was not swayed by the reasoning of the mentor.
For Christians: we are commanded by the Lord to be salt and light to a world darkened by the influence of satan. Jesus tells us that our lives would be lives lived sacrificially (Luke 9:23) if we would be followers of Him. Our speech and expressions, even what we do and the lifestyle we project, are to honour Him (Psalm 119:1-19; 1Corinthians 6:9-20). Sometimes, as Paul writes to the church at Corinth in the sixth chapter, verse 12, and later in chapter 8, there are options Christians have that are legal or lawful to do or express. However, in a Christ-shaped mindset, a follower will not want to exercise their 'rights', are willing to 'sacrifice' their rights if they could become a stumbling block for those weak in their faith. The principle here is that we will want to be able to discern whether what we say, what we do, and even what we wear are projecting us as Christ's light to others, or if a person hearing us, or viewing how we dress and how we look perceive a view or action reflecting the world's mores. When they see us or hear us, is what they see or hear pointing them to Christ, or pointing them to us or to thoughts away from Christ? Will they witness a call to be transformed to look like Christ, or a rubber stamp on those ideals of culture shaped by an antichrist world?
We are all imperfect, and as such, we are just as susceptible to stumbles regardless of how long we have been worshiping the true God. (Romans7:7-25) We don't always get a slam dunk in our actions as Christians. That is why God has given us the greatest guidebook ever so that we can see His mind on our lives. Are we willing to do so, are we willing to be transformed away from satan's world view to God's worldview? What look are we going for?
