A friend of mine says no matter how powerful a sermon may be,  as long as it is preached by a woman in a pair of trousers, to him it will be hitting on a hard rock. He says it is not only un-Scriptural but also un-African for the women to put on trousers, let alone those who go out to evangelize and minister the Word of God.

My friend says, although some people may strongly disagree with him on that  (arguing he may be too religious), there are some cultural practices whose acceptance in Africa will never be holistic until Jesus himself comes for the second time.

This raises the question: “What is the ideal way for a Christian to dress?” The Bible, says Christians must dress modestly. In some churches it is totally unacceptable for a man to attend a church service in shorts.  Such an action can be viewed as being disrespectful to God and showing contempt to the solemn gathering.

If people properly dress for other occasions, such as weddings and  job interviews, why can’t they do the same for God who is above all? Dressing reveals a lot about the individual’s character. However, some people may argue that what counts is the individual’s condition of the heart and not necessarily their dressing. But it is almost impossible for someone half-dressed to have a heart that is focused on  God who delights in those who worship him in truth and in spirit.  It just does not hold water.

Some churches are strict on dressing and have  dress codes for their members and that includes barring of shorts on men as well as trousers on women among other specifics, while others have left it upon individuals to decide on their own.  Reasons that, however, have been given regarding  believers making their own choices in dressing include the fact that prescribing dressing for people does not necessarily produce good Christians but religion that has no link with the inner spirituality of a soul.  Pastors have argued that believers in their personal relationships with God must be convinced on how they should dress.

Another point that has also been raised on prescribing dressing for Christians is that it shuts doors for those who have not come to church as their dressing may be considered off-the-mark by those already in church. The church, it has been argued, should be treated like a hospital, where different kinds of people are found, dressed in various types of clothes, as they discover their relationship with God.

Surprisingly, some Christians, whose churches prescribe a dress code,  only abide by it when they go to church and  dress as they please on any other day.

Should there be a dress code for Christians or that should be left to individuals?  Really, what is the ideal way of dressing for a Christian?