FASHION IN CHURCH

The way of life characteristic of a particular person, group or culture is a lifestyle. Strange I’m starting this write up this way, but you would get to understand why as you read on. Scanning through service and studying by observation what different people wear to church and what does their appearance show to those observing like me. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t go to church to assess other peoples’ dress sense, but for once let’s just take a look at it). It goes from shabby, to fashion faux pas, the ‘okays’ then the fashionistas. All of these categories have both decent and indecent dressers. Less I forget there is another category and that is what I call the ‘Glory glow’. You know, there are some people you see in church and you feel like saying “Oh, Sister you look glorious” and you mean what you said even if you don’t know them. Yeah! That’s because something beyond their dress sense that makes them appear appealing.

When the controversy of how people dress to church comes up, we hear statements like ‘God is not looking at the outward appearance but is looking at the heart.’ Yeah, that’s true because God himself said so in 1 Samuel 16:7 and he said it to Samuel himself when Samuel wanted to anoint one of Jesse’s son. So when you stand in front of that mirror (That’s if you stand before one) dressing for church, what’s on your mind? It’s not a pity most issues like this place emphasis on the female gender; it is how our maker wired us. What do you think of when dressing to church? How to show all eyes at the day’s service that you rock? It’s a holy day and you should not offend the eyes that are officiated to scout for offenders of the dress codes and conduct of the church, or you just have to look shabby because you think it enhances your humility before God.

Your dressing actually reflects some part or even the whole of your lifestyle. It reflects your heart and the kind of person you are. It says whether you are an open, straightforward, cunning, liar, double minded, honest or down-to-earth person. Most people dress to church like it is only on Sundays that God sees what they wear or it is only in the church premises that God sees what they wear. Talk about heart issues. Is that what you think it is? I’m not talking about what we are told to or not to wear in church, I’m talking about our lifestyle as Christians. Being a Christian is not about dos and don’ts being a Christian is a lifestyle that reflects Christ in us. When you dress what goes on in your mind? Do you see yourself as a cast away, a slave or as one loved by the almighty Father? Do you see yourself as one not worthy of the Father’s love and appear as one far from the Father or as one basking in His love.

As God sees your heart, man sees the outside. Yes! God is most important person to please and man should also be considered because being obedient to God also involves living peaceably with men. So please do not call for offence deliberately with your dressing, but beyond the physical go for God’s pleasure in you.

I like to think myself as royalty when I dress, not because my name speaks royalty but because I bask in the love of the King of Kings who has made me his child and in his likeness. So how does royalty dress? They do dress in a way that speaks about who they really are, where there are from and what they do?

If you are assured of your person and position in Christ I believe this should guide your style. Are you dressed like a love child of a love God? Are you dressed like it is in Christ you walk, live and have your being? Are you dressed like you are born of God and do overcome the world?

I’m not here to give advice on the unnecessary details of your style, but I’d just say that you be honest and be sure God is pleased with you because it does reflect to the outside. Let Christ be the core of your lifestyle.

My name is Adeyinka Adefemi, beyond my father’s name I would like to be known as Adeyinka Omooba well that’s because I’m the child of the most high King, I’m heavenly royalty and my name says I’m encompassed with His royalty. Nice meeting you too, so until next time I’d take a cue from my elder brother and say “Stay Beautiful”.

Live And Learn

On Saturday, I attended the wedding of a couple that graduated from my school and fellowship, seeing faces, greeting, and catching up with alumni and present members of my fellowship, also meeting new alumnus. Well, it was like a reunion and that’s how it is in the circles I had in school, we share the love very well.

Okay! So one of my friends who finished the same session I did was catching up and asked how life after school was.

“It’s a learning process” I replied “It’s like another school and I bet it so much more fun learning this way than in the ‘four walls’.”

I did not rehearse what I’d say if I was asked that question, in fact I was not expecting to answer any question of the like. My answer humbled me and since then I kept pondering on it and knew I had to write a blog post about it.

I really love to learn but I really hate the pressure of school too. I wouldn’t say I’m book smart at all, I do not have a competitive strength I’d rather do what I can, I’d rather just let what’s within flow. I really hate to struggle to succeed when I do, I rarely succeed, when I put extra effort I don’t see the difference to no effort at all. So in the four walls I’ve had the highs and lows (I think the lows were predominant). I’ve had moments when I ruled and was undisputed, also had moments when I was with the band wagon and anonymous. I really hate reading just to pass, but the system I found myself in doesn’t really work that way so I have to read to pass instead of learn. Through my numerous failures and my few moments of success and fame, I have learnt. I have learnt best in an environment that does not restrain my mind and its power.

Right from those I watched graduate from primary school, valedictory had always emphasized ‘facing the outside world’ and painted it evil and grim to be feared, and everyone in it was a suspect (I’m too sure you don’t agree). Someone who addressed us while I was still an undergraduate mentioned that there was no real world outside there, because the buildings are not built upside down, so we shouldn’t live with the mindset that things are totally different when we leave school and make it an excuse for not cultivating the right habits.

Learning in life’s institution of learning is NOW, because you are in a continuous process of existence and that’s why you are a ‘being’. Learning is progressive because life is. You may have to retake some classes but staying on the same spot without a single change would mean death because the only things that are stagnant are dead things. Plants don’t move but they grow up and wide.

One of my spiritual prowess teachers in secondary school always emphasized that the examination of life has no time table and it stuck in my heart.

Life is a learning institution that presents things to us to teach us to be prepared, because it does not herald its tests season, order of subjects or even area of concentration. Your will is the pen used to write the answer (which is your decision) to life’s questions and the consequences you get tell of your performance.

So I’m learning, trying to pay attention to what life brings my way, sorting out what to keep and what to discard. Acquiring new things and improving old ones. I want to have fun learning from life whether times are good, bad, happy, or sad, I choose to live and I choose to learn.