Are we watering down God’s standards?

God’s house has always been a place that welcomed people of all walks of life - the poor, rich, and afflicted. However, as people learned the truth about God’s word and accepted Christ as their savior, transformation was evident in the lives of people. They no longer mirrored the world in which they lived; now they live by a different set of standards – God’s standards.

Today, it appears that the world has higher standards than the church when it comes to dress and grooming. Schools have dress codes governing what students and teachers can and cannot wear. Banking institutions and the corporate world have dress codes on what employees can wear when representing the company and dealing with the public.  Even golf courses have a dress code on what players can wear. What about the church?  What about those representing God, in particular those in office?

Has the church lost respect for the office of the person they are representing – God?  Should ministers of God’s Word dress appropriately while representing God from the platform and encourage their staff and children to do so as well? Shouldn’t we set an example in the way we present ourselves? After all, we are representing God and are ultimately accountable to Him, alone.

Ernest R. Whitehead is chaplain of the Maricopa Police Department.

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