Americans love their denim. In fact, the average American owns 7 pairs of jeans.
It’s easy to understand why. Jeans are sturdy, versatile, and comfortable, and these days, they’re acceptable almost anywhere. Whether you’re mowing the yard, going out shopping, getting together with friends, or going to school and maybe even work, you can fit right in if you’re wearing jeans.
What about church? If you’re planning to attend a Baptist church, you may be wondering whether jeans will be appropriate or acceptable. In some Galesburg churches, members wear jeans all the time. Other churches in Galesburg tend to have fewer members in jeans. Read on to discover some biblical principles that can inform your decision.
What do jeans “mean”?
The short answer is that jeans have a culturally dependent meaning, and it can change over time. In fact, this is true of most clothing and fashion trends. We often dress baby girls in pink and boys in blue, but those colors used to have different cultural meanings. Through the early 20th century, baby boys were typically dressed in pink, and girls were usually in blue.
The cultural meaning of jeans has also changed over time. Originally designed for heavy manual labor, they were first associated with ruggedness and hard work. During the 1960s, jeans were often associated with cultural rebellion.
The point is that a single fabric or garment can mean different things, depending on the time and place. Consider what jeans mean to you today, and to the people who’ll be around you while you’re wearing them. Also remember that different jean styles can have different meanings. This is an excellent starting point!
Does God care what I wear?
God cares about your clothing to the extent that it reflects who you are on the inside. If you’re wearing anything to draw attention to your own body, or to make others feel excluded, you’re not dressed appropriately for church. James 2:2-4 gives us the example of a rich man wearing nice clothing walking into a church assembly, along with a poor person in shabby clothes. James warns that we should never treat someone differently based on the clothes they’re wearing. Certainly, we should never try to be like the rich man in this illustration, hoping to get preferential treatment because we look “rich.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10 also reminds us that we should adorn, or dress ourselves with good works, not with accessories and fancy jewelry. When believers gather, our focus should be on Christ. If we go to church hoping to wow everyone with an eye-popping outfit, we’re missing the point.
What you wear isn’t the most important consideration in God’s eyes. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that God is most concerned with our hearts, not what we’re wearing. However, sometimes what we choose to wear can reflect what’s in our hearts, like being proud of our bodies or our wealth or desiring admiration from others.
Only you and God can know your heart and how it impacts your clothing choices, including jeans. Therefore, your choice about what to wear to church is complex and personal. As always, you should apply biblical principles and pray about any uncertainties.
What if I’m the only one wearing jeans to church?
Maybe you’ve decided to wear jeans to church. If you show up on Sunday morning and no one else is wearing them, you may feel a little awkward. However, remember the principles found in James 2. Church members who take God’s Word seriously won’t be judging you based on your choice of fabric. Rather, they’ll be interested in getting to know you as a whole person. Galatians 3 reminds us of the unity we share as family members in Christ. As Christians, we can fellowship as brothers and sisters, even when we look different from one another on the outside.
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul discusses a controversial issue in the Corinthian church. Some members believed it was ok to eat meat that had been offered to idols, while others insisted it was wrong.
Paul concludes that it’s not wrong to eat this meat. After all, the gods represented by idols aren’t real, and God is. However, he knows that some other believers haven’t reached this understanding yet, and from their perspective, eating the meat is a sin.
Paul addresses those who agree that eating the meat is ok. He reminds them to avoid being a stumbling block to newer believers who haven’t yet reached that conclusion. Arguing, mocking or pressuring these believers to eat the meat wasn’t helpful. Instead, respectful coexistence was the goal.
It’s always best to put others’ spiritual well-being above one’s own freedoms. This mindset doesn’t come naturally to us as humans. As Americans, we especially tend to love our freedoms. However, the Christian life is about giving and sacrificing, not about our rights to do what we want. This same principle can be applied to clothing standards. If you wear jeans to church, but someone else feels it’s right to wear a suit, be sure to treat them with respect.
What if I decide against wearing jeans to church?
There are some good arguments to be made in favor of “dressing up” for church. Wearing nicer clothes can be a way of showing God that His day is really important to us and that we take church seriously. Some believers avoid jeans and choose more formal garments instead, because they want to communicate respect and reverence in church.
If you’re one of these believers, your clothing choices can be a powerful way for you to “speak” your thoughts about God. However, it’s important to avoid looking down on someone else at church for their choice to dress in a slightly different way. The reasons people look and dress the way they do are always more complicated than it seems at first glance. It’s worth really getting to know someone before making assumptions about who they are based on their clothes.
Treating someone as “less than” due to their clothing choices can happen in subtle ways. Maybe you would have invited that new visitor over for lunch, but you chose not to because they’re wearing jeans and you’re in khakis and a tie. If so, remember those believers in James 2 who showed preferential treatment to visitors in “nicer” clothes.
Here at Harmony Baptist Church in Galesburg IL, we think it’s important to major on the issues God says are major. Jeans or no jeans, we’d love for you to check out our “Contact” page and plan a visit soon!
